The Last Strike
by ValleryRose
Summary: How long can a person live in fear? Not for long and must not! It's time to strike back and will Kai be able to win this time? Adventure/Romance/Mystery (KaiXOC TysonXHillary RayXMariah MAxXMariam TalaXJulia are the main. Rest ocassionally)
1. The First Strike

Hi! First of all, it's my second work here. I somehow messed up the first.

Second, there's no Daichi in this. However he might make an entry later on in the story.

Next, Give me reviews.. I know it's just the first chapter but, I could use some encouragement! Thanks! :)

* * *

"And Group D Finals are done folks! The winner is Kai!" DJ Jazzman's voice echoed in the stadium, and it was only after a few moments the audience erupted with a huge round of applause.

"Well, battling her wasn't a piece of cake. No doubt the spectators are shocked too..." Dizzy said as a matter of fact, while her master was busy gaping at the spectacle at the battle dish. At least what was left of it. Max and Rei who had just joined them were quite appalled too. They had been watching the match from the balcony. "Who the hell is she?" Rei asked Kenny, with a frown on his face.

"I'm not so sure myself. No past records of her!" Kenny burst out. He'd been searching frantically for her stats, while Kai was being trashed in the battle. But, alas, he could find none.

The situation was no different on stage. Kai picked up his blade, and looked straight at her. He frowned. "Damn," he muttered. The same blank expression throughout the match! It was like she was not human. Those eyes said nothing. No disappointment, no anger, nothing! She only picked up her blade, turned around and walked away. Mr. Dickenson stopped her halfway, "You might want to wait a bit. I have a very important announcement to make. This isn't over dear."

She just moved out of his way and turned towards the stadium. Kai, who was now with Tyson and the team, also waited for the final announcement. "_Will she make it into the team?" _he wondered.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! We have the final team with us. And it is beyond any doubt, our very own Bladebreakers!" The crowd went frantic with the announcement! After all, they were their champions! "However, this time there has been a change in battle patterns. We wish to test the teams in every form of the game, be it tag team or best of three matches. Hence, every team gets to have four members and a substitute, who will come in handy for Tag team set up. Confused? Well, all confusion would be cleared once the Championships kick off next week in Hong Kong. Now, for the substitute… We had amazing runners up in each group, but we all know there is only one, who surpassed the rest, Inei Akira!" The crowd broke into another round of applause as the evening ended.

**_An hour later, _**

**_Mr. Dickenson's Office._**

"So Akira, I suppose you introduced yourself to your new team mates in my absence?" Mr. Dickenson asked the raven haired girl. She turned towards him, and all he could see was the void in her lilac eyes. He cringed a little at the sight, _"Will she be good for the team?"_ "I guess you haven't," he said aloud.

"Oh no, I know them," she said, speaking for the first time. Her voice was strangely sweet, but had an eerie aura about it, "I mean, who doesn't?"

The Bladebreakers expected a smile from her, but were disappointed.

"But, we know nothing about you, except for your name," Kenny said, expecting her to reveal something about herself.

"Isn't that enough?" she said and smirked.

"And I thought one Kai was enough for the team. Now we've got ourselves two of the kind!" Tyson said rolling his eyes. That earned him a death glare from Kai and an angry "Excuse me?" from Akira.

"Nothing," Tyson said taken aback, "I'm just…"

"Where are you staying Akira?" Mr. Dickenson asked, trying to change the topic.

"In a hotel, right now. But, I'm not sure where next," she said her hands crossed.

"Don't worry about that. I've talked to Tyson's Grandpa about it. You can stay there until the championships start. That way you can get to know the team too."

"I'm excited," she said as her tone dripped with sarcasm.

Kai frowned and she was really irritating him now. What's with that attitude?

"You gotta change it," he said looking at her.

"What?" she snapped.

"Your attitude. You gotta change it, if you want to be a part of the team," he said, his voice now firm.

Everybody's eyes widened in surprise, "Look who's talking," Tyson muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Max to giggle.

Akira raised an eyebrow at him and simply walked towards the door. Before she left, she turned around, "Mr. Dickenson, I need Tyson's address."

**_A few minutes later…_**

"You look pissed off?" Rei said, walking beside his best friend.

"What gives?" Kai said, clearly irritated.

"Well, Tyson wasn't wrong. She was only being you. So you must be comfortable," Ray said with a half smile.

"I guess, I just realized my virtues," Kai said and walked ahead.

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I hope you liked the first. The one's coming up would be even more exciting.. ;)

Until next time...


	2. Ghosts of the Past

Hey!

I'm back with the second chapter! I hope you guys are liking it!

Do leave your reviews and any queries!

* * *

_"The melancholy of the barren garden was more than just an addition to the gory atmosphere of the old castle. It was like it had been the resting place of the Dracula. Maybe, not Dracula. But, it was indeed the resting place of an equally brutal man Cairon (spelled K-ei-ron). People called him the "Santan". A phantom assassin known for his lust for blood. He sometimes killed for free, for it was his favorite sport. However, he was mortal too. Yet, he didn't want his killing spree to end. Then started his hunt for his successors. Kids went missing. Yes, it was the kids. They are easy to mold, Cairon thought. Trained to kill, they became an elite group of assassins, known as the "The Azrael", which means the archangel of Death in Arabic. This organization has been around for a hundred years now. Some believe this just a myth. While some swear to have seen the castle. Some old scriptures mention that the assassins bear a tattoo of the…"_

"Now enough with this sick stuff," Hillary yelled switching off the television, "and listen to me!"

"What the hell!? I was watching!" Tyson yelled back at her, now standing on his two feet.

"Where is that new girl?" Hillary folded her hands, "Where is she?"

"What? What girl? Oh.. Akira?" Tyson walked towards the kitchen, "She isn't here yet. Who told you anyway?"

"Kenny. You would never bother to tell me! But, I gotta know right?"

"You're coming with us? I thought you were busy with college," Tyson said, picking up a sandwich.

"I'm done. Today was the last day," she said. She opened the refrigerator, to get herself some water.

"You're quitting college to be with the team?" Tyson exclaimed.

Hillary choked on the water, but recovered fast, "Of course not! My dad would kill me if I did that! Today was the last day of my Semester** dumbo! So I'm going to come along.."

"Thank god…" Tyson said. A smile appeared on Hillary's lips, "So you're happy I'm back?"

"It's not that. I'm happy you're not quitting college. Bearing you 24x7 again… that would be a nightmare... no... Worse," Tyson winked at her and gulped down the rest of his sandwich.

"Jerk!" Hillary hurled a peach at him and thanks to his reflexes, his face was saved, "That's dangerous. I'm not going around cleaning floors now!"

"You're fit for that," she sneered at him, when the door bell rang.

"I'm gonna take that homies. You just chill," Grandpa Granger set out to greet their guest.

He opened the door to see the raven haired, eighteen year old girl, dressed in a simple T shirt and jeans, staring at the many wooden swords piled in a corner.

"I could train you if you want to young lady," Grandpa said with a smile playing on his lips.

She looked at him and bowed to greet him, "No, thank you sir. I've trained for quite a while now."

"Alright! Come on in," he said and let her in.

Akira pulled her huge suitcase in and walked straight into the living room, where Hillary was waiting eagerly to meet her.

"She is a little weird, a lot like our good old Kai... so be careful," Tyson kept telling her.

"Akira… right?" Hillary said as she extended her hand towards Akira.

"And you are?" Akira asked without returning the handshake.

Hillary hesitated for a moment and withdrew her hand, "I'm Hillary. Sort of… the team's manager."

Akira ignored her and looked around, "My room?"

"I'll show you…" Hillary took Akira's luggage, despite her protests. She was determined to crack this nut. When Kai wasn't that tough for her, how tough could she be? Moreover she couldn't ignore Mr. Dickenson's request. He was quite worried about Akira not fitting in with the team.

"So… you're from?" Hillary tried to start a conversation.

"You're not gonna leave me alone, are you?" Akira said.

"No. I won't."

"Great. Suit yourself."

"You haven't answered my question."

"Japan."

"You sure don't seem so. Anyways forget it. Here's your room. You need anything, just give me a call. For that, you need my number and I need yours," Hillary said typing into her phone.

Akira sighed, "Just a sec."

The exchange of numbers was done. _Mission 1: Accomplished!_ Hillary thought with a triumphant smile.

"Care to join us for dinner young lady?" Grandpa asked. He stood at the end of the corridor, a ladle in his hand.

"I actually had dinner on my way here," Akira said, her voice not even sounding apologetic.

"Aww… that's bad. You're gonna miss the taste of grandpa's cooking. Wait, you're gonna stay here, so you won't. I'm coming Grandpa! Let's go…" Hillary said, and left Akira to herself.

Akira closed the door behind her and sighed, "Finally, some peace."

She looked around. The room was nice. She actually liked it. She opened the doors of the wardrobe and pulled her suitcase towards it. She began to unpack and within an hour, she had arranged her things, prepared herself for bed. But sleep? Will that ever come to her?

* * *

**_Around 2:00 AM,_**

**_Hiwatari Mansion._**

_The stone walls seemed to suffocate him. And the same voice was ringing in his ears, "Defeat is the ultimate shame, grandson! You have to remember that. Power is what we need. Power to defeat the world, take over it! Complete domination is what we want!"_

_"Stay away!" he screamed. He was running now, but he couldn't lose the voice. It was following him everywhere. Suddenly a black figure started to take shape in front of him. It began to engulf him as a sharp pain shot up his body, "NO!"_

Kai woke up drenched in sweat! That nightmare! Why tonight? Why now? After all these years…

Was it because of her? Inei Akira. She reminded him of his dark past. His days in the Abbey. Strangely, she did. But why? Those lifeless eyes, he had seen a lot of them in the Abbey. Did she belong to the abbey? No, that was impossible. He had never seen her there before.

After BEGA went down, the Abbey was closed. Boris was arrested. Voltaire disappeared. When Kai turned eighteen an year and a half before, he inherited his Grandfather's fortune and his sins too. He knew he had to make things right. He cooperated with the Interpol, and several other Federal forces to filter the corrupted Hiwatari Corp. The children rescued from the Abbey were given shelter and support through the Hiwatari Trust. In that process he realized Hiwatari Enterprise was not full off corrupted bastards, but had some good people too, who were ready to fight with him for the cause. Not to forget his friends. Ray, Max, Tyson, Kenny, Hillary… everyone supported him and helped him throughout. Ray stayed with him Russia for about six months and worked with him. Judy and Mr. Dickenson had been great help too. The Bladebreakers were now, back in the arena after a gap of two years, now that they had finally fulfilled the task of providing the victims of the Abbey a better life.

He walked towards his desk with a photograph of the entire team, resting on it. A lot had happened over the past two years. But, some things never change. Tyson was same stupid guy he had known. Ray, Max, Kenny, Hillary… they were all the same old buddies! Until today… until the nightmare, until he had met Akira… Why has this uneasiness returned? Why couldn't he sleep peacefully sleep tonight?

_It is all in your head master. You're thinking too much, _he heard Dranzer's voice.

"I guess I am…" he said, finally deciding to get over it and get back to sleep.

* * *

**I've read that a few Universities in Japan have started using the Semester system and not the traditional Trimester system. Sorry if I've got my facts wrong! :)

I hope I haven't disappointed you with this chapter.

Please do leave your review! :)


	3. Criminal Minds

Thanks a lot for the reviews! :)

Here I am with another chapter. This is long, I warn you!

* * *

_"Let me go! I said let me go!" a petite girl about sixteen years old was frantically trying to free herself from the iron grip of a man who had her pinned down. "Tun Sie es schnell! Billy!(Do it fast! Billy!)" he barked at the red head kneeling in front of him drawing a clear liquid into an injection, "Are you blind or what, Werner? I've gotta do it carefully. Otherwise she would end up dead!" Billy retorted, which shut Werner up. The girl's cries slowly turned into sobs and died away. _

_"Sie ist bewustloss. Nimm sie! Fischer…(She is unconscious. Take her! Fischer...)" Werner ordered his minion. "Ja..(Yes..)" Fischer nodded and dragged the girl away. Werner then turned towards Billy, "Lets deal with the boys now."_

* * *

"Hey guys! Did you see this?" Kenny was in such a hurry that he didn't even notice Grandpa going through with his morning training. He realized that and sprinted back to wish him a "Good morning Grandpa!"

"What is it Kenny?" Hillary, who had just managed to wake Tyson up, asked. Kenny was trying to catch his breath now.

"Were you talking about the missing bladers and the dead man in Yokohama?" Max asked waving the newspaper in front of Kenny. Kenny nodded in affirmative. "Strange, isn't it?" Ray said as he seated himself on the floor. "What is strange?" a still drowsy Tyson asked as he entered the room. "The missing bladers are the runners up of the other three groups!" Kenny exploded. "Whao! Calm down Chief!" Tyson said sitting down beside Rei.

"They were the runners up in Groups A, B and C yesterday! Akira was the runner up in the Group D, but she got selected in the team," Kenny explained.

"The report says that the three in bladers were spotted with the dead guy at a newspaper Kiosk and at about three o'clock this morning the dead body of the guy was discovered and the three bladers are nowhere to be found," Ray read out the essence of the report.

"The news sure came out very fast," was all Hillary commented. "Guys I have a feeling the police would come here too," Max intervened.

"How are we anyway related to this whole shit?" Tyson wondered aloud his eyebrows knit together in a frown. "Not us… Akira. She was the runner up in the 4th group. That links the four of them. The police might consider that a lead too," Max elaborated.

"So, how does that make me a suspect?" Akira stood at the door, her hands folded. She looked pretty upset or rather pissed off, to be more precise. She was dressed in jeans shorts and a white T shirt. Her raven hair with its soft curls was tied up in a pony. All heads in the room turned towards the source of the voice and their mouths fell open. Her already long legs seemed all the more long and all the more attractive! "Ugh..ugh.." Hillary coughed and nudged Kenny in the ribs. Max gave Akira a half smile as she walked towards him. "Do I look like a criminal to you? Do I, Max?"

"Oh no… you don't have the slightest idea what you're looking like to me," Max's mind was giving him all kinds of ideas, but ended up saying, "Well, some of the most notorious criminals in history have been beautiful women," and gave her his charming smile.

She raised her eyebrow, accompanied by a smirk, "Like?"

"Ummm… if you're asking for names…" Max was tongue tied and was mentally kicking himself now.

"Whatever…" she shrugged and settled down beside Rei, "Where is the report Rei?"

Hillary mouthed "L-a-m-e," and Max shrugged sheepishly.

She read the report twice, "Maybe you are right Max. They might come here. The article mentioned me too. "

"I thought so. But it'll be alright. As long as you haven't done anything wrong," Max said, a little hesitant.

"She seems a little more sociable today," Hillary whispered to Tyson who was now standing beside her. Tyson's thoughts echoed hers.

"Ready to train?" Kai announced his arrival.

Akira looked up at him. Their eyes met and remained so for a moment. Kai was rather relieved to see her sitting beside Rei and seemed to have been involved in a conversation.

"Kai? Did you read the newspaper?" Kenny asked their captain.

"Hn" Kai nodded.

"Max and Akira think that the police might come here for Akira. You know they mentioned her in the newspaper too."

"Maybe, Kenny. Let's not worry about that now. I don't want Tyson to slacking off," Kai said walking towards the backyard through the back door. Akira turned around as the door behind her slid open.

With a small pool and big place to practice, the dojo was indeed a perfect place to train.

"You don't have to worry about that Kai. I can take care of any damn blader in the world anytime, anyplace," Tyson said, too cocky for his own good.

"How about we test that assumption?" Kai said pulling his launcher out.

"Oh yeah!"

Tyson and Kai readied themselves at the dish while Max did the countdown. Rei and Hillary crouched beside Kenny while he was ready with Dizzy to record the stats of the match. Akira stood at the door, her hands folded, a silent observer.

"3.. 2.. 1.. LET IT RIP!"

Tyson launched his blade and it landed right at the center of the dish. Kai's blade circled his, and entered in for the attack. Tyson dodged, "Kai, this isn't child's play."

Kai stationed himself at a height, right at the rim of the dish. He sped right towards Kai and slammed right into Dranzer, too late to realize that he had a trick up his sleeve. All he did was give his blade a slight tilt, and attack him underside, in the most vulnerable spot of his beyblade.

"What the f***? You sneaky…" Tyson swore as he realized how big a fool he was. He opened up his blade for attack, by trying to climb up the dish! It was one of Kai's oldest moves: bending and tilting.

"That is what I call slacking off," Kai and smirked. "Akira! You next."

Akira walked towards the dish, "Who is it?"

"Rei, how about you?" Kai walked towards Rei while, Rei took his place.

"Serpa! Viper Sting now!" Akira's viper, opened up her hood, followed by the hiss of the deadly viper.

"A giant silver – blackish snake… Eww.. the look of it is itself spine chilling!" Hillary said as Serpa gave her goosebumps.

A thousand poisonous needles shot out at Drigger as he cried out in pain.

"Drigger! Tiger claw attack!" Ray frowned as he ordered Drigger to attack.

She was indeed very strong, and her creepy bit beast added to it.

With the final attack, Rei emerged victorious.

"That was quite good, Akira," Rei said as he picked up his blade.

Akira pursed her lips in disappointment.

"Ah.. don't be disappointed. What do we have training for?" Hillary said and patted her on the back.

Akira shot her a _Do you mind?_ Look, and shrugged her hand away. She walked right towards Kenny, "What was wrong Kenny?"

"Ummm… your defense? You still have to work on that," he said looking at her. "Our Maxie can help you out with that if you want him to," Dizzy added.

"Sure. I'd love to," Max flashed her a smile.

"I'll think about it," she said.

The rest of the training session passed without much action. There was some analysis of each of their blades, considering that the Bladebreakers were fighting in the arena after a long time.

As everybody walked back into the house for lunch, Kai stopped Akira, "Akira, we need to talk."

"What is it?" Akira asked turning towards him.

"It is about the case of Yokohama. The dead guy had a photograph of yours in his phone, marked under a title, 'Targets'. The police want to talk to you about it. Don't panic or say anything in front of the others," Kai said as the expression on her face turned into a frown, "Mr. Dickenson arranged for you to meet them at his office at six in the evening. I'll be coming with you too."

"No thanks. I'll be fine," she said as turned away.

"I'm informing you. Not asking your permission!" Kai said and walked past her into the house.

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I hope you liked the chapter! Any queries, do ask... Pardon me for any mistakes!

Pleases do leave your review! Your feedback is precious! :)


	4. An Unexpected Invite

Thanks a lot for the reviews!

Another chapter! Not much in this... But the story is going to pick up pace from the next chapter!

I hope you like this one! :)

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**_In a flight to New York…_**

A pair of emerald eyes looked around filled with apprehension. She had taken big risk, but it was a necessary step; a risk that would change her life. Boarding that plane wasn't easy. She was on the run and there was always a risk of being discovered. Yet, she made it on the plane. The final test was tomorrow. She had to qualify for the championships at any cost! "I hope you know what you're doing, Judy. I really hope you do!" she sighed and closed her eyes.

* * *

**_Dojo_**

The afternoon practice session was somewhat better than the morning. It was all about Max and Ray. Akira was asked to note Max's defence tactics, as her defence was a little weak.

"That hood of your viper, it radiates energy around it. Right, Akira?" Kenny asked her.

"It does. It forms a shield to certain attacks like… Kai's Flame Saber and Rei's Tiger Claw. But it is not that strong," she answered.

"Concentration is the key," Kai spoke.

"I'm working on it," Akira said looking at him.

An hour later, the team settled down on the wooden floor and began to discuss what they would do next.

"I say we go out and have some fun," Tyson said and grinned.

"No! The last time we tried to have some fun, we got into some serious trouble. Remember Tyson?" Kenny said crossing his hands

"Haha… It wasn't we Kenny, it was you, remember? It was your fault. You never told me, you couldn't handle the alcohol," Tyson burst out laughing, remembering how Kenny ended up at his house at 1:00AM, his pants fastened around his head. Kenny had to answer a lot of questions after that.

Kenny turned a bright shade of red, "Shut up, Tyson!"

Max and Rei joined Tyson. Kenny buried his face in his palms and moaned, "That was my first time. So, cut the crap!"

"Why do you even have to drink in the first place? You're not that...," Hillary snapped, annoyed. She knew it wasn't a big deal. But, she had a particularly bitter memory of the night and hence she loathes even the mention of it. Well, she could never decide if it was a bitter or sweet. So, she settled for it to be a bitter sweet memory.

Tyson began to laugh even harder, "Right... We're not kids... Which century do you live in Grandma? That was just for fun, a little nothing… So stop sermonizing!"

"Yeah right! Get drunk and fool around with girls, those dumb…" Hillary stopped midway as she felt an iron grip on her hand pull her down into a certain someone's lap.

"How about I fool around with you this time?" Tyson asked a blushing Hillary, tilting his head to a side and giving her a half smile. Max and Rei looked at each other with raised eyebrows and suppressed a chuckle. Kai face palmed.

"Ouch! Why did you do that for?" Tyson said rubbing his nose, as Hillary got to her feet after smacking Tyson in his face with the newspaper in her hand.

"Manners jerk, manners," Hillary warned him.

"I was doing you a favour… I don't want you to spend your youth idle, with absolutely no experience…" Tyson's mockery was interrupted by the ringing of Hillary's phone.

"_You_ don't have to worry about _my_ idle youth Tyson. There are other people to worry about it," she said waving her phone in front of him and then answered it, "Oh.. hi Ryan! Ummm… That would be wonderful! Hmm… Of course I'm free… Yup! Six o' clock!"

"Yeah right… Ryan? Seriously? That moron?" Tyson now had an irritated expression on his face.

"Moron? Yeah… maybe. But, he's the most popular guy in college, and I want to know, why?" Hillary said as she picked up her bag to leave.

"Suit yourself. Anyways, it would be wonderful to see your face tomorrow, when you realize what a big mistake it was. Have fun… lots of fun…" Tyson fell back to floor, hands under his head and closed his eyes.

Hillary frowned and muttered something. Rei, who was sitting near her, couldn't manage to comprehend those words.

"Kai, what about you? You're coming?" Max asked Kai.

"Count me out. I'd rather go home," was Kai's expected reply.

"Look who you're asking Max. It's Kai. Kai is allergic to fun. Don't you know that?" Tyson's sarcasm was not new to Kai and he chose to ignore it.

"Perfect," Akira finally spoke.

"What?" Kai snapped at her.

"Nothing. If you're free for the evening, why don't you walk me to the BBA office? Mr. Dickenson asked me to meet him regarding some passport issue," Akira said, with an innocent face.

Kai was caught off guard. His plan was to join her later, but he never expected her to ask him like this. That too in front of the team! None of the others could believe their ears.

"Hello? I'm asking you Kai. What's wrong?" Akira knew Kai couldn't say no. What did he say? _"I'm informing you. Not asking your permission..." _Then why couldn't she irritate him a bit?

"Sure." Kai had to give in. Strangely, he was rather eager about it.

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Please do leave your review! :)


	5. Regrets

Here's another chapter. It's a little long and contains more of Tala and Julia. I hope you like it! :)

* * *

Hillary's phone began to ring again. Hillary frowned at the screen as an unknown number flashed on it.

"Hello? Who is it?"

She listened in for a moment, "Julia!?"

All heads in the room turned towards her, "What the hell are you and Raul doing with the Blitzkrieg Boys?"

Kai's eyes widened in surprise as Kenny exclaimed, "Blitzkrieg Boys?"

"Okay… hmmm… sure… Call you later…" saying so Hillary cut the call.

"Julia and Raul qualified for the championships, with Tala, Bryan and Ian on the team," Hillary announced, sounding quite shocked.

"Are you guys talking about the F-Dynasty?" Akira broke the tension in the air.

"Yeah…" Max said and turned towards Hillary, "So what was it?"

"She's a little worried, that's it. You know Tala and the others can be a little scary sometimes. She didn't say much, just said that she'd call again."

"But what are they doing in Russia?" Tyson asked.

"Because they have better chances there. Both Barthrez Battalion and The Majestics would be fighting to qualify in Europe. However, Russia doesn't have many strong players except for the Blitzkrieg Boys. No doubt they got in," Kenny explained F-Dynasty's possible logic behind choosing Russia.

Kai smirked. He knew how disciplined his former team mates were and how much Julia would enjoy her stay there. And the most important thing, Julia and Tala hated each other. A small argument at a local tournament made them sworn enemies for life.

* * *

**_Moscow_**

Julia had no idea why she had called Hillary. She felt very unsettled though. Hillary and Julia had been in contact ever since they met three years back and had grown to be really good friends.

A knock on her door interrupted her train of thoughts. "Who is it?" she inquired, without moving away from the window.

"Bryan."

Julia frowned, "Why is he here?" Julia looked at herself in the mirror once before opening the door.

"What is it?" she asked opening it wide enough to stick her head out.

"Get ready. We'll be leaving for the gym in an hour. That's where we'll train," Bryan said and was about to walk away.

"Bryan, where is Raul?" Julia asked.

"Downstairs. I suppose you didn't have your breakfast?"

"No."

"Why don't you grab a snack before we leave?"

"Sure. Thanks."

Bryan nodded and left.

_Why is he being nice to me all of a sudden? I guess they just realized that we're a team now._

As Julia climbed down the steps she could hear a sudden thud and sound of a glass breaking. Scared, she ran downstairs to see Raul sprawled on the couch mumbling gibberish.

"What happened?" Julia yelled as she rushed towards her brother's side, "Raul! Raul? Are you okay?"

She examined the place around her to see a broken vase. Her eyes darted towards Ian who was standing a little away from. They were now joined by Spencer, who was on his way to work.

Twenty three now, Spencer Petrov worked for the Hiwatari Corp. The Blitzkrieg boys, themselves being the victims of the abbey, played a key role in the rehabilitation of the children rescued from the abbey. After the Hiwatari Corporation was stabilized Kai wanted to return the favour, though Tala refused to accept anything in return. Kai then invited Spencer to work with them and got him appointed in the Hiwatari Trust. With a good salary and a beautiful woman in his life, Spencer was going to move out of the three storied mansion sort of a house in a few days.

"What's going on?" he asked his voice firm.

"These morons got my brother drunk I suppose?" she was furious.

"Ian?" Spencer raised an eyebrow at the purple haired teen standing next to him.

"What? That guy chose the wrong bottle of fruit punch!" Ian exclaimed.

"Lie! Why don't you admit that you _gave_ him the wrong bottle of fruit punch! You spiked it!" Julia was about to attack Ian when Spencer blocked her way.

"Here, calm down. We'll talk about it," he said pulling her away from Ian. _Man! She is strong for a girl,_ Spencer thought. "Talk? My foot…! Just let me show him his worth…" Julia tried to pry Spencer's hand away.

"Ouch! Mommy's angry," Bryan who had been watching her rage, mocked Julia.

"Bryan!" Spencer growled and the smirk on Bryan's face vanished.

"Take your brother to his room. Now!" Spencer ordered Julia, "I'll help you."

Spencer without much effort lifted Raul up, one hand around his shoulder and Julia supported the other. Julia knew better than arguing with Ian and Bryan. As they proceeded upstairs, Julia came face to face with Tala, who was standing there, his hands crossed and a smirk on his face.

"You're sick! Your problem is with me Tala. Leave my brother alone!" she warned him, though it fell on deaf ears.

Julia and Spencer put Raul in his bed, "Will you be fine?"

Julia nodded, "Spencer, thanks."

"It's alright. They can be a real pain. But they are not bad," he said before he stepped out of the room.

She didn't turn to look at Spencer, but her eyes remained fixed on her brother. She could kill Tala right now. Why was he doing this? _Don't you know the reason?_ Her conscience questioned her. _Did he not mock me and my way of life? _She protested. _But you crossed the line_

* * *

**_Six Months back…_**

_"A clown…" he sneered, "that's what you are. Nothing more than that." Tala couldn't accept his defeat in front of Julia's native crowd that was already booing him._

_"What did you call me?"_

_"You heard me."_

_"And what are you? Someone who doesn't have the humanity to understand others and respect them. How can you? How did I forget it? You were reborn as a monster, weren't you? "Cybertized"… I guess you remained to be so… Cyborg!"_

_That hit him! Seared his old wounds. No one knew how it painful it was being experimented on. It was a curse, a cruel curse that haunted him even today. Only he knew what he had to go through, while the consequences of that so called "Cybertization" lasted. A now a girl, full of herself walks in and mocks him? Says he doesn't have enough humanity…?_

* * *

Julia knew it was her mistake and regretted every word she had said. It was cruel on her part. But, Tala calling her a clown tripped her temper off. What did he even know about her or her way of life? How difficult the life of a performer in circus was? He hadn't mocked only her, but her entire circus family. There were a few people like him, who sneer at them and she couldn't take it any longer. But… somewhere she knew Tala didn't mean to be that harsh. He didn't mean any disrespect to her family.

"But, he shouldn't have said that in the first place!" she justified her anger towards him.

"Be nice to her Tala," Spencer said to the red haired Russian standing in front of him.

"No one tells me what to do," Tala retorted.

"Your ego isn't bigger than the Championship."

"Tell _her_ that! Not to me."

"She has already set her ego aside. I guess she even apologized to you after the fight and quarrel died down that day. She has moved on Tala. Julia choosing Russia is a proof of that. It's time you think about the team. And what are you both? Ten years old? You're almost twice that Tala..! You've got better things to do!" With that Spencer left the house, not sure if the matter would be resolved any soon.

* * *

Please do leave your review! :)


	6. Awkward Silences

Thanks for the reviews!

** James Birdsong**: I'm glad you liked the chapters! Thanks! :) I can assure you, more interesting stuff coming up!

* * *

**_Tokyo_**

Akira looked at herself in the mirror one last time. She had finally settled for a white three fourth trousers coupled with a baby pink T shirt. She grabbed her long white scarf and wrapped it loosely around her neck. _I have to do some shopping I guess, _she thought looking at her barely existent wardrobe.

Kai was waiting for her outside the dojo with the rest of the team. Hillary had gone home to prepare for her date, while Tyson, Rei, Max and Kenny decided get some fresh air.

"Ouch," Akira said as she tried put on the straps of her sandals. This attracted the boys' attention. "Here she comes, Kai. Didn't keep you waiting for long," Tyson teased him expecting a death glare from Kai.

However, Kai was too busy, his eyes fixed the soft curls of her waist length hair bouncing around her shoulders as she hopped, trying to set her footwear right. His eyes then drifted from the curls to her fingers that flicked her hair back, while she walked towards him.

"See! He's not even glaring at me anymore…" Tyson complained in a whisper. "Are you jealous Tyson?" Rei nudged Tyson. "Are you? I didn't know you had a thing for him!" Max joined in with Rei and began to tease Tyson.

"What? OF COURSE I DON'T!" Tyson's blurted it out at the top of his voice, which made Kai realize that he had been staring at Akira for too long. Akira was startled, "Did something happen?"

"Oh… nothing. Tyson just keeps getting these fits once in a while. Right, buddy?" Max said giving Tyson a pat on the back.

"Yeah… yes… I do sometimes…" Tyson said glaring at Max.

"So we'll split now. You guys have fun," Rei said winking at Kai, which made Kai roll his eyes.

"I'll make sure we have fun," Akira said, giving Rei a sarcastic smile and added, "While you guys make sure you make it home in one piece," and she waved them goodbye.

* * *

**_Three hours later…_**

Max, Kenny and Rei were now staring at a rare sight in front of them. Yes, a very rare sight of Tyson picking at his food. A smug smile appeared on their faces, "You said you wanted to have some fun?" Max poked Tyson.

"I am neither in a mood for it nor am I interested," Tyson said and continued playing with his food.

"Looks like somebody here is way too jealous," Rei said taking a sip of Coke.

"Why the heck would I be jealous of Ryan? I wasn't even thinking about Hillary!" Tyson snapped.

"Really, Tyson? You should tell her you know…" Kenny lifted his head up, which was previously buried in the screen of his laptop.

"Aha… the love guru is giving out tips!" Dizzi said, "How about you try it first Kenny?"

"Dizzi! This is not about me!" Kenny tried to subdue the topic.

"Why not? Tyson, let Kenny test it. Then you can treat your love sickness," Dizzi was being stubborn.

"No Dizzi, I'm not trying anything. Because there is nothing to try for…" Tyson said sounding serious.

This was some serious crap now. Since when did Tyson start acting all grown up and well… serious?

Max frowned, "Tyson what's going on? Did something happen between you and Hillary?"

Before Tyson could answer his question, Kenny muttered a, "Shit!" which diverted their attention.

Coming in through the diner's door were Ryan and Hillary who looked like they've been having a lot of fun.

They only thought so, until their vision became clear. Ryan had his hand wrapped around her shoulder, while Hillary gently brushed it away her smile still intact.

Hillary's smile became a sigh of relief when she spotted the boys sitting close by. She fervently waved her hand at them and pulled Ryan towards them, "Ryan, I want you to meet someone. But, I'm sure you already know them."

"Oh… yeah of course. I'm not a beyblader though. It's nice to meet you guys… But…" Ryan was about to say something when Hillary cut him short, "Do you guys mind if we joined you?"

Ryan frowned, which meant he got the message. Hillary had been acting really strange the whole evening.

"Actually… Hillary why don't you join your friends for the rest of the evening huh? While I attend to some important matters," Ryan decided to let go off her, before she dumped him, which would be quite a humiliation.

"But Ryan… Are you sure?" Hillary asked innocently.

"Yeah… bye." With a peck on Hillary's cheek Ryan left, muttering a list of curses.

Hillary slid into the seat beside Tyson and Tyson leaned forward saying, "I warned you."

"What was that?" Max said looking at Hillary, laughing as Ryan slammed the door of the diner before leaving

"I never signed up for a date. The gang was going to come. They set us up," Hillary said as she ordered a diet coke.

"You were pretending? That was lame…" Tyson said smirking.

"It was a date though… the plan was that!" Hillary's voice began to rise. "Yeah… whatever," Tyson said and the next moment he was back to normal, irritating Hillary with his not so decent food habits and table manners. "Arghhhh! Tyson! Stop eating like a pig! Why did I even sit beside you?"

Max, Rei and Kenny looked at them helpless, shook their heads and sighed.

* * *

Kai walked with Akira at a little distance from her, an awkward silence filled the air around.

For the first time silence was irritating Kai and hence he decided to put an end to it. But before he could say anything, Akira surprised him with an unexpected question, "You didn't like it, did you?"

"What?"

"When I asked you in front of the others… to walk me to the BBA office…"

"I certainly didn't," Kai said, moving closer to her.

He saw her smirk. _She is so weird,_ he decided.

"Why did you do that?" he couldn't resist.

"You already answered your question."

"Because I didn't like it?"

"Don't try to boss me around. I don't like it," she made her point clear.

"Neither do I," Kai wasn't going to keep quiet either.

Neither of them spoke another word until they reached the office. They entered Mr. Dickenson's office to be greeted by him and the presence of Detective Akiyama Toshi and his partner, Detective Himura Aiko from the Crime Branch.

* * *

**_Meanwhile in Moscow…_**

"What happened?" Raul said as he woke up that evening his head heavy.

"They spiked your drink," Julia said, her face devoid of any expression.

"Oh… did anything happen?"

"Oh yes, something did happen. You broke a vase and I don't have the slightest idea why you did that? To break your head? Or Ian's?" Julia burst out, irritated by her brother's casual response.

"Jules! Calm down… calm down. I always tell you," Raul said running his fingers through his hair, "You have a bad temper and a very bad habit of overreacting."

"But, it could've been dangerous! What if you got hurt?"

"How old are you?"

Julia gave him a puzzled look, "Nineteen…"

"So, how old am I?"

"…" she realized it was their usual exercise.

"Jules, how old am I?"

"Nineteen…"

"See, I'm an adult. Just like you. I can take care of myself," Raul said pulling the bed covers over his head. Silence prevailed for a few moments.

Raul peeked through the sheets to see Julia leaning against the bed post, sitting on the floor.

"I don't like it here Raul. And this is just the first day," Julia sighed.

"Jules, I think you should sort it out with Tala. You're not kids to fight over silly issues."

"I know. I apologized to him twice. It is he who is overreacting now. I don't even know what his problem with me is…!"

"You know what sis? Just forget it… and get me something for this head ache if you can."

* * *

Finally done with the chapter. I hope it's not too long and not too boring!

I really have to know now, from my readers, how the story is progressing.

So, my dear silent readers, please do leave your review if you can! :)

Anyways... gonna be back with another chapter soon! See ya..!


	7. Detective Akiyama Toshi

Finally! Ufff... that was tiring!

Warning: The chapter can be a little long. It is about Akira's past. So, I'm sorry if it bored you at any point. However, this chapter is very important at this juncture!

Read on...

* * *

"Miss Inei?" the female detective spoke, "I'm Detective Himura Aiko and this is Detective Akiyama Toshi."

"Detective Toshi would be fine. Why don't you take a seat?" he said, pulling a chair out for Akira near Mr. Dickenson's desk. He then eyed Kai, "Looks like you've brought a friend," he turned towards Mr. Dickenson, "I didn't know."

Mr. Dickenson sweat dropped, "He is the team's captain, Kai Hiwatari."

"Aha… Kai… or rather Mr. Hiwatari. I have heard a lot about you and your friends. Glad to have finally met you. Take a seat," the detective pointed at the couch.

When Akira and Kai settled down in their allotted seats, Detective Toshi extended his right hand towards his partner, for her to place a folder in it.

He opened the file walked to the corner of the desk and sat on it facing Akira.

"Inei Akira," he said and cleared his throat, "Excuse me." He took a sip from the glass of water on the table and replaced the cap on it once he was done. "So where were we?" he continued, "Oh yes, Miss Inei where were you, yesterday, around 8:00PM and up to 11:30PM? Be quick."

Akira lifted her head up to look him in the eye. She took a deep breath and continued, "At around 8:10 I had completed my dinner at the hotel I was booked in and started for Tyson's place in a Taxi. I think I reached his place in some twenty minutes. I had a little chat with them and then went to my room. In an hour I had unpacked my luggage and then went to sleep. I don't exactly remember when that was."

"Good. That was quick," he said giving a slight nod, "Do you have proof for this story of yours?"

"Yes, I do."

"Very good. So… you've seen this man before?" Detective Toshi pulled a picture out from the folder in his hand and showed it to Akira.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Kai was closely observing Akira. She seemed calm and cool. There was no sign of any panic. _That is a good sign,_ he thought.

"Do you know any of the three bladers who are currently missing?"

"I've only seen them at the tournament, never before. I didn't talk to them either," she answered his next question too.

He raised his eyebrows and nodded his head, "You look quite calm. Are you accustomed to answering questions like this?"

"Excuse me?" Akira asked him, her voice sounding a little angry.

"Like sessions," Detective Aiko joined him, "Perhaps at a psychiatrist?"

Kai frowned at the reference and Mr. Dickenson gave a sigh of exasperation, "You don't have to go there detective," Mr. Dickenson pointed out firmly.

"I know what I'm doing Mr. Dickenson. Advising me is the last thing you would wanna do right now. Considering the fact that you'll be needing mine and the department's special permission to take her anywhere outside Japan, for that matter even outside Tokyo. I've agreed to carry out the interrogation in front of two witnesses, be glad about that. Otherwise these things normally happen in my interrogation room!" Detective Toshi managed silence Mr. Dickenson.

Though Kai's outward appearance indicated that he was barely interested in the conversation, his curiosity was increasing every minute. He wanted to know more, more about her past. And he was sure that his wish would soon be granted.

"Yes," Toshi turned towards Akira, "Ha. Psychiatrist… Been there any time?"

"What are you trying to point out Detective?" Akira was now losing it.

"Well, before we get to my point, let me tell you a story. The story of a little girl, an orphaned little girl."

Akira's expression changed into a frown.

Toshi registered the change and continued, "Once upon a time, to be more precise, eighteen years back, a pregnant woman who was rescued from a storm on one fateful night was brought to an orphanage in Moscow. She delivered a baby girl, only to give up her life in the process. The girl was raised in the orphanage until she was seven years old. One night she discovered something that changed her life. A toy, a dangerous toy. A bit beast for her beyblade. Do you know what happened next Akira?"

There was an eerie silence around her. She had removed her scarf from her neck, as she was sweating profusely. She gripped her scarf tight, while all those memories came back to her.

"I'll tell you what happened next. That very night she lost control of the huge serpent, I mean her bit beast and almost killed ten innocent kids. Well, all of them are fine right now. But, that's not the point. You know what witnesses said? It was like she was possessed. The bit beast was finally captured and subdued. But, nothing was same for the little girl anymore. She became insane, lost her mental stability. She was shifted to special facility, an asylum, where she was treated for six years!"

It was becoming more and more difficult for her to take it. _STOP IT! _Her inner self was screaming, however she remained quiet on the outside.

Aiko was getting a little worried about her mental condition, but Toshi? No, nothing could stop him, "She was kept under observation for one year and was later adopted by a childless couple who took complete responsibility of her treatment and well being. Isabel and Shiro Inei. Do you know who that girl is Akira? Do you know!?"

Toshi yelled out the last question, which snapped Akira out of her cruel past.

"Yes, it's me!" she yelled back.

"Good. You need some water?"

"No," Akira was panting a little now.

"That blade that was secured that night was stolen by a man, who was unfortunately seen by one of the nuns in that orphanage. She managed to get a sketch of him made. And do you know how he looked like? Just like the man, whose photograph I showed you just now," Toshi said and paused for a moment.

Akira did not respond. Kai was beyond shocked to know that she had spent most of her childhood in a mental asylum. He pitied her for a moment and her present situation. Anyone would want to forget such a past. No one knew that better than him. And here, Toshi was putting her through all that torture all over again. He desperately wanted to do something for her. Maybe punch Toshi in his face and take Akira away from here? But, wasn't the detective just doing his duty?

Aiko did more than just pitying the girl sitting helplessly in front of her. She walked towards the small freezer in the office and pulled out a bottle of water. She put a hand on Akira's shoulder and handed her the water bottle, "Here, have some water." Akira grabbed the bottle and gulped down almost half the water in the bottle.

"Can we continue?" Toshi looked like he wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Akira nodded in agreement. She wasn't going to be afraid. NO! She wasn't scared anymore… those days are over!

"Now do you know him?"

"No, Detective Toshi, I don't."

"Fine. That bit beast you use. I presume it is different from the one you used all those years back, though it is a serpent too?"

"Yes. It is different. Serpa came to me after I was adopted," Akira answered with renewed confidence.

"Do you control it well? Any proof of that?"

"She controls it alright. I fought her in the recent tournament and she's pretty good at it," Kai finally spoke up, knowing it was time.

"Aha… a witness! Good. So, your foster parents… where are they right now?" Toshi asked, pulling out a few more papers from the folder, "Your father is a lawyer and your mother… an artist? French by birth?"

"Yes, an artist. My parents are right now at an International Art Exhibition in Paris. My mother's paintings are being exhibited in the gallery," Akira answered his question, for which he already knew the answer.

"Have you ever been to Paris, Miss Inei?" Toshi asked.

"Yes. Once, with my mother about two years back."

"May I know the reason you haven't participated in any tournaments before this?" Toshi was asking random questions.

"My parents felt I wasn't ready, nor did my psychiatrist. Now that I don't need my treatment anymore, they let me go."

"Do you still need a psychiatrist sometimes?"

"No. I don't."

"Fine. That's it for now. You'll be called in again if you are wanted," Toshi then turned towards Mr. Dickenson, "I'll let you know tomorrow if has come clean or not."

The detectives left the office, leaving a shaken Akira, sitting right where she was before, staring at the ground.

"I'm extremely sorry dear. I couldn't do anything about it…" the old man standing in front of her sounded genuine.

"I understand Mr. Dickenson. You've already done so much. I realize it could've been worse," Akira spoke in a very soft voice. Her voice was cracking a bit, but she managed to cover it up.

"Will you be alright?"

"Yes sir, I'm fine."

Akira got up from her place and walked towards the door. Kai followed her out of the BBA building without a word.

Akira felt a little weird. She staggered, as her vision blurred. _No…! Don't… not now!_ She tried to open her eyes, only to feel her knees buckle under her. She prepared herself for the sharp pain she would be feeling soon after hitting the ground. Maybe she wouldn't feel it at all? However all she could feel was a pair of strong arms holding her tight and familiar voice calling out her name. "I'll be fi..ne…" she mumbled before she blacked out.

* * *

*Fingers crossed* So how was it?

Hoping you liked it! :)

Please do leave your review!:)


	8. A Surprise for Max

Thanks for the reviews!

** silverstaar18:** Thank you so much! We are on the same page about original characters being 'in' character. Somehow OOC behaviour never really was to my liking! :p So, I try my best not to repeat it. I'm glad you liked the OC and her 'mystery past' too. I'd say read on to realize this is just not her mystery... there is much more to it. ;) Once again, thanks a lot for the review! :D

* * *

The phoenix sat at the bed side staring at the girl, restlessly shifting in the bed. But there was no sign of waking up. She finally calmed down as she turned to her side, her raven hair all over her face. She tried to brush it away and wasn't really successful at it.

A smile crept onto Kai's lips as he saw pout her in sleep. Kai couldn't stop himself from helping her, not after those really cute expressions she'd been giving for a while now.

_The hair… arghh… why can't I remove it…_ she tried brushing away most part of it, while the remaining still irritated her. She decided to give up and just concentrate on sleeping. She suddenly felt a finger brush past her cheek, towards a strand of her hair and tuck it behind her ear. She found herself smiling, while the finger… no… fingers slowly moved towards her chin, closer to her lips. She couldn't feel any of her soft, raven curls there, only the electrifying touch of the fingers, now on her lower lip. _What!?_

She got up with a start to see an equally startled Kai take a step back from her bed.

_"She's is so cute when she is asleep," Kai thought, "Looks like she speaks a lot more when she's asleep than when she's awake." He brushed the strand of hair away and tucked it behind her ear. Her skin was so pale, so soft. He couldn't put a stop to his fingers moving towards her chin, slowly towards her lips. They were soft, so full and… Shit! She's awake!_

"What exactly were you trying to do Kai?" she pulled the bed covers to cover herself completely, only to realize that they didn't feel the same way they had felt the previous night, in her room, at the Dojo. Her eyes widened as the memory last night's events slowly came back to her. She had fainted in somebody's arms… Not "somebody's" arms. Kai! She had fainted in his arms and then what? She frantically looked around to find herself in an unfamiliar territory. She took a quick peek at herself inside the bed sheets; everything was fine. She was still in the same dress she had worn last night. "Where in the hell am I?" she literally yelled at him. She was actually angry, very angry.

"At my place…?" Kai said a little hesitant, not sure of her reaction.

"What!?" she tried get down the king size bed, wrapped around in bed sheets, struggling to move on her knees.

"Wait… you're going to…" Kai didn't have to complete his sentence, for she was already toppling down the bed.

"Whoa!" Kai caught her just in time to prevent her from hitting the carpeted floor.

"What the… let me go…!" she tried to wriggle herself free of the sheets and his grip, but the sheets seemed to have been wrapped around her in infinite loops, "I said let me go!"

A mischievous grin appeared on his lips and he decided to grant her wish, "If you say so."

She fell to the floor with a thump, "Shit! Ouch…" She finally managed to pull herself out of the covers and stood up. Kai stood there with an amused look, watching her straighten her hair out and then her clothes. She finally looked at him and said, "How did I end up here?"

"I figured I'd bring you here, nearer to the office, rather than carrying you all the way to Tyson's place," Kai said folding his hands.

"You carried me here!?" Akira exclaimed with a puzzled look on her face.

"I called my driver. I felt that would be easier."

Relieved, Akira sat down on the bed, her serious visage returning to her. A lot had happened the previous evening. Some of the darkest secrets of her past were thrown out into the open, exposed. She buried her head in her hands.

The slate haired blader standing in front of her knew all of it. Well, not all of it. Yet, she didn't like it. She didn't like it when…

"Akira, I'm sorry to know…" Kai said, his voice sounding sympathetic.

"I don't need your pity Hiwatari!" she glared at him, as her words conveyed the fact that she didn't like it when people pitied her, knowing her past.

Kai was taken aback by her reaction; however he knew he didn't pity her. He sympathized with her. He saw Akira get down the bed and walk past him, "Everybody has their story Kai, I bet you wouldn't like it if I said I pity you," she said pausing for a moment beside him before she went for the door. He balled his fists in anger, upon hearing the word "pity". He wasn't surprised that she knew his story for it wasn't a secret anymore. It was all over the papers when he decided to reform the Abbey and the Hiwatari Corp.

"Just so you know," Kai said, his voice devoid of any emotion, "The team is here, waiting for you downstairs," he paused and continued, "They know about the police interrogation but I didn't tell them anything about your past."

Akira for a moment began cursing Kai because she was sure he would have told them about her sad past. She stood rooted in her spot, when she realized that he hadn't.

"So, why exactly are _they_ here for me?" Akira was unnecessarily rude.

"It is because unlike somebody here they actually care about the team," Kai was not exactly polite either. Akira didn't say a word in defense, only stared at him, a little startled by his sudden outburst.

Kai calmed himself, surprisingly fast for him, "It wasn't pity Akira," Kai continued, "And you know why."

He walked past her, out of the room.

_And you know why…_ Yes, she knew why. _I bet you wouldn't like it if I said I pitied you,_ she remembered her own words. He had been through a painful childhood too. He therefore sympathized with her.

_I don't need your sympathy, Kai! I don't need anybody's sympathy,_ she told herself, very firm on that.

A few minutes later, Akira found herself staring at the mirror in the bathroom. She splashed water on her face for the third time. _You've got to find that woman… find her, no matter can't afford any distractions, you just_ can't! She told herself, _All I have to do is make sure the team goes all the way to Russia. That's the only way I'll ever be able to return to Russia. Isabel would never ever let me return otherwise. _Akira remembered how much convincing and how many 'hunger strikes' it took for her to obtain permission from Isabel to participate in the championships. _There must be a strong reason she doesn't want me to return to Russia,_ Akira thought, a_nd I'll find out what that is!_

**_A few minutes later…_**

"Here she comes," Hillary whispered to Kenny, as Akira climbed down the stairs.

"So, how are you feeling now?" Kenny was the first to speak.

"Better. Thanks," Akira said, gave him a dry smile, seating herself beside Max who was busy with his iPhone, his eyebrows knit together in a frown.

"Damn it, Mariam!" Max swore.

"Mariam? Who's she?" Akira asked a troubled Max, wondering whether he was referring to her or was it somebody else.

"No one you know," Max gave her a curt reply, which startled Akira. He got up, quickly dialed a number and darted off to the sit-out.

"Did I say something to piss him off?" Akira asked a little miffed, unaware of the fact that it was a certain girl named Mariam who pissed him off.

"No, you didn't," Hillary jumped in to do any damage control, "Mariam is an old friend of ours."

"And I think I know why he is pissed off. Look at this," saying so Kenny turned the laptop towards the rest of them. Everybody except Akira and Kai huddled in front of the laptop to find out the reason.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Rei said, unable to believe his eyes.

"What's going on with these teams?" Hillary exclaimed, "First Julia and Raul… and now Mariam?"

Hillary and Rei were quite surprised at what they saw, however the Champion had other thoughts bugging him.

"Guys, do you think this has something to do with the shit that happened in New York?" Tyson voiced his thoughts.

"Are we thinking about the same thing Tyson?" Kenny intervened and Tyson nodded.

The brunette looked from Tyson to Kenny, "What?" with a quizzical look. She gasped suddenly, "She ran? She ran from her people, didn't she?"

"Possibly," Rei said, considering the option.

"But why did she go all the way to America, rather than just coming to us?" Tyson asked an intelligent question.

"That's the smartest thing I've ever heard from you genius. Exactly, why did she go there?" Hillary echoed his question, ignored Tyson's "Hey! How dare you…!" and continued, "That is what I wanna know."

Though Akira was trying to ignore the continuous rambling in front of her, it seemed very interesting.

Kai couldn't understand either, but he did know about the 'shit' Tyson was talking about. Putting two and two together, he was now sure that Mariam ran from her people and joined the All Stars in America for the Championship! _Quite daring,_ he thought with a smirk, _smart girl. She knows what's good for her. _

He turned around to see if Max was done talking to Mariam, which was quite the possibility. He was busy pacing up and down, listening and then trying to explain something.

"It was Mom's idea?" Max exclaimed, "Why?"

"Well, with the sacred rock still here in the facility and all, she is worried that our Chief would now demand it back…" Mariam was trying to explain, but Max wasn't listening, "Still… what's the point?"

"Will you just stop for a moment and listen to me?" Mariam snapped.

Max stopped in his tracks and said, "Fine."

"The chief, Ozuma and the tribesmen are still angry about what happened in New York and our…"

"Relationship?" Max completed her sentence.

"Yes," Mariam continued, "Ozuma hates you Max; you hurt his ego back then. Now he is bent on retrieving the rock from Judy's research facility and is at the same time trying to ruin my life! He is trying to convince the tribe from sending me anywhere. I don't have the slightest idea what's gotten into him and the Chief! So I ran…"

"I get it. But, that still doesn't explain why you're in America and not here, with me," Max was becoming impatient by the minute.

"I had reached Osaka, when I called Judy and informed her about the rock. She asked me where I was heading to. When I said I would be meeting you in Tokyo, she invited me to join the All Stars since they needed a fifth member and she thought I would be a great addition to the team. It is simple Max, this way I can participate in the tournament and also be near you. Just a week Max, just a week… Be careful until then," Mariam pleaded him.

"I'll be fine Mariam. It is you that I'm worried about. Are you alright?" Max asked, his voice becoming soft, filled with concern.

"I will be. When I'd see you next week…" she paused for a moment and sniffed back tears, which was so unlike her, "I love you."

"I love you too…" Max said sitting down on the steps leading to the back yard, he stared at the phone for a moment and cut the call.

_Is everything really that simple?_ Max wondered as he rubbed his forehead, _I wish it was. Or is there anything beyond what was just told me? _Max did not know why, but his mind kept telling him that there was something beyond what he was just told.

* * *

Another chapter! Not much... Sorry for that! I've been travelling a lot these days and hence can't keep up the pace! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

Please do leave your review! :)


	9. Suspicions

Thanks a lot for the reviews! :) It really means a lot!

**Warning**: I guess it's a really long chapter! So you need to a be a little patient! Sorry about that! I hope you enjoy it though!

* * *

A pink haired girl was staring at the wilderness beyond the cliffs she'd been standing on for a while. She sighed and looked at the letter in her hand. She read the contents of the letter for a hundredth time, or even more. It was like Rei had written the letter very carefully, so distant, like you were obliged to write in order not to be rude. It was plain weird, a weird letter! He writes to her after five months and says what? The peaches they bought were delicious? What the hell was that? And yet, here she was, madly in love with the golden eyed blader, who had once broken her heart.

_"I don't know Lee… I guess I'd be moving to Russia for a while now. Kai needs my help. In fact he needs us, all of us. I'm going to try and do my best," Rei said, trying to explain the reason behind his sudden decision to leave for Russia. Rei had just completed packing for his journey the next day morning. It was late in the night when Lee knocked at his door. _

_"Rei, I know I've been bitter before. About you leaving the team and all. But, you are not just a part of this team or just our leader. We're friends; we're family and not anything less. Kai needs his friends right now. What that guy's doing is not easy, definitely not! And I'm no one to stop you from doing what you have to do. Rei, you've done a lot for this team. And I guess we don't have any right to control you or decide for you…" _

_Lee was interrupted by a disturbed Rei, "It's not like what you're saying Lee. It's just that…"_

_"No Rei. I mean it," Lee said brushing him away, "I know we've been selfish trying to keep you with us, when in fact, you belonged there; as a part of the Bladebreakers…"_

_"Shut up Lee!" Rei said annoyed, "It was by choice that I returned to this team. It wasn't just me. Max and Kai returned to their old teams too… If anybody was selfish, it was me Lee. It was me! But you know what? I'm glad I came back, because I now know I have a family that I can depend on. That I can trust, no matter what."_

_Rei pulled Lee into a brotherly embrace when Lee said, "You're free Rei. No hard feelings and no guilty conscience."_

_"Don't say it like that," Rei said pulling away from his teammate, "It was never guilt." _

_"I know," Lee said smiling._

_Rei smiled at his friend, but the smile soon faded when he saw a certain pink haired girl standing at the door, her eyes fixed on the cold ground underneath her feet._

_Lee put a hand on Rei shoulder; nodded at him and the left the two of them alone. _

_"You're not going to come in?" he asked Mariah._

_She looked up, determined not to show her tears. However, her eyes betrayed her. _

_Rei flinched at the sight of her tears. _

_"Why does she always make it so difficult for me?" he thought._

_"Mariah…" Rei made an attempt to deal with her tears._

_"It's alright Rei. I understand. I mean it when I say that. I'm not going to stop you this time," she said aloud, "Because, apparently, I can't," she added to herself._

_"You do?" Rei asked, a little skeptical._

_"Yes. I do Rei," Mariah said wiping her tears away, only to realize that the fresh ones were already replacing them, "Damn!" she swore, "They won't stop."_

_She was taken by surprise when she felt a pair of arms, wrapped around her, "I want you to know something. You're a very special to me, Mariah, very special."_

_"Yeah… but not special enough for you to ask me to accompany you," she wanted to say it aloud, but refrained from it. "What's the whole damn point?" she thought. They were not kids, definitely not! They were freaking adults now! Eighteen years! They've known each other for eighteen years, well not exactly, but at least whatever time they've been together and that wasn't certainly insignificant. If the guy hasn't made a move on you, even if it was quite clear to him that you liked him, scratch that head over heels in love with him; then get the message girl. He is just not interested in you, that way. Or he is gay! Which Rei certainly wasn't, that is, the latter!_

_"Get lost," Mariah said pulling away, "Get lost before I changed my mind."_

_"What?" Rei said, not sure about what he had just heard._

_"You heard me Rei!" Mariah said turning away, finally getting rid of her tears._

_That was when the unexpected happened. Mariah felt a strong hand grab her shoulder and turn her around. Rei wrapped the other hand around her waist and pulled her towards him, knocking her breath off. She gasped finding herself staring at his golden eyes. No! Who was she kidding? In a split second, her eyes had darted off to his lips. She tried to pry her eyes away and tried to focus on his face instead, which was, by the way, very difficult. The half smile plastered on his lips and that mischievous look in his eyes told her that they were both thinking about the same thing. Only, she realized it too late._

_"Rei, no…" she tried to push him away, but in turn, was pushed towards the door, which was for until a moment ago, open. Something else wasn't where it was, previously. Rei's right hand that was supposed to keep her trapped in his embrace was now busy bolting the door, which definitely wasn't a good sign!_

_And she was right! Before she could comprehend its consequences she found herself kissing the guy of her dreams, like there was no tomorrow. Little did she know then that she would be spending the night there. (No! Nothing happened! Mariah managed to convince Rei that she wouldn't do or let him do anything stupid, now that he was on his way to Russia, for God knows how long. She told him that he would now definitely regret that he was a tad bit too late in telling her his feelings, something he should've done long back. Rei only rolled his eyes and pulled her closer, slipping into the much needed sleep, smiling to himself.)_

Mariah turned a deep shade of red at the reminder of the passionate kiss they had shared. By the time she got up the next day morning, Rei was gone. So much like in a movie; waking up to find that your lover was now long gone leaving you a note stuck to a bed lamp or something. Only, there was no note.

Now, Mariah wondered, was there a reason behind the absence of the note? That was a way too ridiculous thought because Rei had later written a long letter apologizing for what he did. He was getting late, he explained, and she was showing no signs of waking up leaving him with no other choice. Besides, she looked too cute to disturb, when she was asleep. That sentence was enough for her anger to melt away. _Idiot, _she had murmured, reading that letter apart from blushing every now and then. She however, right now, couldn't help being suspicious about the absence of a ridiculous note, considering the ridiculous letter he had just sent.

She hadn't seen him for about seven months now. He had visited them after last year's championships, the one the Bladebreakers hadn't participated in due to several reasons, as in, (i) testifying against the criminals of the Russian Syndicate who had helped Boris and Voltaire, while being constantly bugged by the Interpol. (ii) Helping Kai reforming the Abbey and also saving themselves from a life threatening attack by some angry leaders of the Russian Syndicate. She remembered how she had freaked out and fainted upon hearing that Rei had nearly missed a bullet through his head and was in an ICU, recovering from lethal wounds. So much for being a loyal friend! Not just Rei, every one of the Bladebreakers, not to forget the Blitzkrieg Boys, had taken a huge risk by deciding to fight against Biovolt and get rid of it once and for all. And they were successful too, if the fact that Voltaire managed to disappear is ignored.

"Still thinking about that boyfriend of yours?" Mariah turned to face the source of the familiar voice.

"What gives?" she said walking towards Lee, smirking.

* * *

**_Police Headquarters, Tokyo._**

"Toshi, Mr. Dickenson just called," Aiko said to her partner peeking in through the partly opened door of his cabin, "Toshi!" she called out a little louder to grab his attention from the white board and the several flow charts randomly scribbled on it.

"Tell him I'd call him in an hour and after that why don't you come and join me? I have a few questions to ask you," Toshi said without turning away from his board. Anybody except for Aiko would've found such a request weird. Aiko knew his method of working too well to find it weird. She knew he had another theory in mind and would now cross check it.

She returned to his cabin in a few minutes, "What is it?"

"Tell me Aiko, if you ever plan adopt a child," Toshi began, still facing the board, "Will you adopt someone who was treated for a considerably long time in an asylum, also taking complete responsibility of their treatment later on? Would you even approach an asylum in the first place?"

"Not really. I wouldn't consider an asylum at all. I'd rather go to any normal orphanage…" Aiko was slowly getting a wind of what Toshi was thinking and who he was talking about, "Unless…"

"Someone tells you about her…" Toshi completed her sentence.

"Or I know her… I mean that child," Aiko added and continued, "You mean to say that the adoption of Akira by the Inei couple wasn't random and they'd known her before?"

"Or her mother. They'd known her mother. There is another possibility though. They could've heard about her from someone working in the asylum and were so moved by her story that they decided to adopt her," Toshi suggested.

"Maybe," Aiko said shrugging, "But why are we even discussing Akira? Shouldn't we be focusing find those missing bladers? Besides, that girl has come clean. She has a solid proven alibi. And why are you constantly forgetting the fact that she was on the list "Targets"?"

"Why are _you_ forgetting what you've learnt from me so far? That could be a trick to mislead us! You also cannot ignore the fact that the security cameras in the stadium have recorded the presence of the dead guy at the stadium during the qualifiers. He happens to be the same man who had allegedly stolen the dangerous beyblade eleven years back from the orphanage. How can you be so sure that…"

"I'm so sure Toshi because we've found nothing from her room we'd searched at Mr. Granger's place last night. Nothing suspicious from her hotel room too! And the Chief isn't really impressed with what you did. Barging into a civilian's house like that. She's clean and you have absolutely nothing against her to deny her permission from leaving Japan to participate in the Championships," Aiko pointed out quite firmly to her partner.

Toshi remained silent for a while, angry with the fact that his partner was right. Only his intuition was saying something else. That there was something going on and Akira had something to do with it, even though she was indeed innocent.

* * *

"What? They had a search warrant with them?" Akira exclaimed upon knowing that her room, in fact the entire Dojo, was thoroughly searched by some police officers. Kai had disappeared into his own room with the excuse of an important call and as always no one dared to ask who it was.

The team was fairly surprised because it was the first time she had shown any kind of emotion in front of them.

"Yup…" Tyson said and nodded, "And Grandpa was not really happy about it."

Hillary kicked him in his ankle causing him yelp in pain, "Tyson, that is not what you're supposed to say, you idiot!"

"It's okay Hillary. Of course no one would be happy having a bunch of police officers messing up things at your place," Akira said rubbing her forehead. A mild head ache had already started and she knew it was only going to get worse.

By now Max had joined them, which led Rei to ask, "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know! She's joined the All Stars and all. God knows what Mom's planning to do now!" Max said lowering himself into the sofa.

"Whatever it is Max, I'm sure Judy would take care of it," Hillary said as a matter of fact.

"I certainly hope so," Max said sighing.

"Wait a minute… did you just say Judy, a Judy who is right now in America?" Akira suddenly spoke, frowning, "As in Judy Tate?"

"Yes…" Hillary said, a bit taken aback.

"That's my Mom," Max intervened, "How do you know her?"

"She is the woman Isabel, I mean my mother mentioned to me. Let me guess, she is the Head Scientist at the Beyblade Research Facility in New York and also the Joint Director of BBA America?"

"Yes. You got that right. You mean my mother and your mother know each other?" Max asked quite surprised.

"No. They more than just know each other. I could figure that out from the way my mother had been talking about her. Like they were really good friends or something… in the past and couldn't keep in touch due to _some_ reasons. She mentioned Judy, I mean your mother, because she knew I'd be meeting her during the Championships," Akira was talking a lot for someone who had the made the impression of not liking conversations.

"Oh… what did you say your mother's name was?" Max asked, curious.

"Isabel… Isabel Inei. I don't know her maiden name though…" Akira said shrugging.

* * *

Please do leave your reviews! :)

And suggestions if any... ;)


	10. Hallucinations

A special thanks for the reviews! :)

Here's the next chapter. I've written it in hurry, so I'm not really that happy with it!

I hope it isn't disappointing!

* * *

**_Tyson's Place, 11:30AM._**

"I'm extremely sorry Mr. Granger," Akira said bowing for the third time, "I'm extremely sorry!"

"Don't sweat it, young lady. They're finding nothing at my place. They should've known that!" Grandpa said, not even sounding upset, "Just take a chill pill."

"Are you sure?" she said and Grandpa nodded. "What were they searching for?" Akira continued.

"That is sure a secret they wouldn't tell." He paused for a moment and said, "Have you called your parents yet? They ought to know."

"Ummm… I've talked to them yesterday once. I'm not sure if I'd tell them about this. It would only me more trouble for me and unnecessary worry for them. But I guess I will talk to them," Akira explained.

After she had apologized one last time Akira left for the back yard where the match between Kai and Ray had already started.

"Hey! We've good news," Hillary said beaming at Akira, "The Police have given you a clean chit. You're free to participate in the championships!"

Hillary's excitement didn't really reflect on Akira's face, "Some good news," she said, "After all the inconvenience they'd caused."

"It's okay Akira. You should really forget that and prepare for the championships," Tyson said getting up from his place.

"Plus, you've got to work on a lot areas of beyblading. And we've got to decide something else," Kenny added.

"What is it?" Akira asked, her hands folded.

"With whom should we be pairing you?" Kenny answered adjusting his glasses.

"Pairing me… _what_?" Akira shot Kenny an are-you-crazy look.

Not only Akira but also the rest of the team had no idea of what Kenny was talking about and hence looked at him like he was nuts.

"What? What if she is needed to play the two on two matches? She has to be paired with someone right?" Kenny elaborated.

Akira rolled her eyes and Hillary said, "Oh, you're talking about that! How do we decide that?"

"Compatibility, obviously," Kai said, "Now that the Blitzkrieg boys have Raul and Julia, we know who would be their two on two team and they are not particularly easy to defeat. We need a team that can match up to them and do even better."

"Tyson and Daichi managed to defeat them, didn't they?" Hillary said.

"But, Daichi is not here with us, is he? If he had been here…" Tyson was interrupted by Akira, "Who's Daichi?" she asked.

"Daichi was a part of the team. He won the Tag team championship along with Tyson. He had to return to his village due to an emergency," Hillary explained.

"You mean that kid, with the red hair?" Akira asked, but not with any enthusiasm.

"Yes," Rei said, "That's him."

Akira went back to being quiet while Max came up with a useful suggestion, "Why don't we leave it for later and concentrate on Akira's training?"

No one could disagree, including Akira.

The Bladebreakers were busy the next three days training and Kenny worked day and night to make sure their blades were technically fit and upgraded in every way, which was not really possible without help from Dizzi!

How much ever moody Akira might be, the good part was that she wasn't difficult when it came to training. She was rather eager to learn, which came as a relief to the team. The initial reluctance on her part was slowly disappearing. However, emotionally, she remained distant from the team.

* * *

**_Dojo, 10:30PM. (36 hours to go for the Championship to kick off in Hong Kong)_**

"She is just like Kai, you see," Tyson commented, much to Kai's displeasure, "The first time we met, you all know what a grouch he was."

"She might be like Kai. But I hope the similarity is limited to just the grouchiness. And she sticks to one team," Hillary said, smiling at the team's captain in front of her, "No offense Kai."

"None taken," Kai said, turning the pages of the sports magazine in his hand.

"Aarghhh!" a horrifying scream ripped through the air, sending chills down their spine.

"Akira," Kai said and shot up from his place. He was first to rush out of the door towards Akira's room.

It was only a minute later that rest of them could figure out what was going on. No sooner had it dawned upon them that Akira must have been hurt or something than they hurried towards her room.

Kai slid the door open to see a terrified Akira, cowered in a corner, on the floor, near the full length mirror, sweating profusely and shivering.

"Are you alright?" Kai said rushing to her. He knelt down in front of her and repeated his question. Akira said nothing, but continued to cringe in fear. This began to worry Kai, "Are you alright? Answer me!" Kai yelled and shook her by her shoulders, which snapped her out of her fear, "I… I… saw it…in the mirror…" she managed to say. "It's happening again… Oh no it's happening again…" her words were being drowned by her sobs.

By now, Tyson and the rest of the team had reached her room, frowning at the state Akira was in, "I'll get some water," Hillary said and went to the kitchen. Grandpa had also joined them by now.

"You saw what?" Kai asked confused, still not letting go off her shoulders. She looked into his eyes and his eyes widened as the fear in her eyes told him exactly what she had seen.

"Impossible…" Kai said, "Are you sure?"

That was when the power went off and someone knocked the breath out of Kai's lungs. There was a sharp sound of a glass breaking in the kitchen; Hillary had probably dropped it, startled by the sudden power cut. Akira's scream and her present condition had disturbed her enough.

Akira was already too shaken by her recent encounter with her worst nightmare that the sudden darkness made her lose whatever sanity remained in her. She tried to run out of there in utter fear and in the process threw herself at Kai, thus knocking his breath off. Kai knew better than letting her run and locked her in his arms. She was being extremely difficult to restrain, but he did all he could do to stop her, "Akira! Stop! It is alright! Every… everything is fine." Kai managed to steady himself, and subsequently managed to calm her down, "Shhh! Stop fidgeting… No one's here Akira… No one is going to harm you. It's just us," Kai whispered in her ear. One of his hands had a tight grip on her hands while the other was wrapped around her waist. Akira seemed to have stopped moving, and her breathing became even.

"Kai? Are you both alright? We heard something hit the floor," Max finally found his voice.

"Yes Max. We're fine," was Kai's answer. He sighed in relief as light flickered at a distance.

Tyson had gone back to the kitchen to see if Hillary was fine. They brought back a bottle of water and candles.

Hillary entered the room with the light followed by Tyson. Akira sat peacefully, wrapped in Kai's arms, her head resting on Kai's shoulder and eyes closed. Kai leaned against the wall, letting go off her hands, which fell, like they were lifeless.

"Is she unconscious?" Kenny asked worried.

"Wake her up," Grandpa said, "That is not a good sign. Is she cold?" Kai nodded in affirmative. "Then I'd better go make something to warm her up," Grandpa said and left the room.

"Akira?" Kai tried to wake her up, "Akira? Get up…"

Akira slowly opened her eyes, shifting in his arms. She regained her consciousness, and moved a little away from him, one of her hands taking the support of his strong arms. Some of her hair got tangled with his shirt buttons, "Ouch…" she muttered in a weak voice.

"Wait," Kai said and helped untangle her hair.

While Hillary and Kenny were busy fretting over Akira's present state, Tyson, Max and Rei were pretty much enjoying the 'sweet' exchanges between their team captain and the new girl on their team. They looked at each other with raised eyebrows and amused looks. Well, how often do you get to see a girl wrapped in Kai's arms and also helping her untangle her hair? They had seen the former once… but that was when they were… Ummm… not sober. So no one had the damn idea what was going on. But this? This was different! And amusing! Tyson was trying real hard to suppress his urge to burst out laughing. Instead he said, "Maybe someone should help her get up, unless, of course, Kai is very comfortable with having her all over him."

Rei and Max gaped at Tyson in utter disbelief. They couldn't believe that Tyson had the guts to actually say that. Hillary choked and Kenny almost dropped Dizzi. Akira was too shaken to comprehend anything. Kai… well what else would you expect?

"Excuse me," he said gently pushing Akira away so that he could get up, "I've got to deal with something."

Kai got up cracking his knuckles, "You were saying something Tyson?" A devilish grin appeared on his lips and an evil glint in his eyes. And Tyson regretted every word he had said!

Kai had almost broken Tyson's nose before Max and Rei finally managed to subdue him, "He was just kidding Kai! Cut it out!" Rei said pushing Kai away from Tyson.

"Well, no more jokes, moron," Kai said before turning his attention towards Akira, only the word wasn't moron and something worse.

"And I thought he's starting to appreciate humour," Tyson continued not realizing how lucky he had been, thanks to Rei and Max's quick reflexes. Max smacked Tyson on his head, "Enough!"

"Fine! Whatever!" Tyson said rolling his eyes.

* * *

**_An hour later…_**

The power was back on and Akira had recovered from the horrifying experience she had just been through. Hillary and Kenny had asked some straight forward and pretty serious questions. Akira felt they deserved to know the answers. Moreover, considering what had just happened and it was more likely to happen again, she knew she had to reveal at least a part of her past, if not all of it. Like omitting the part about the man who stole the blade and how he was the same guy that ended up dead in Yokohama.

"Because you spent a bulk of your childhood years in an asylum and you are likely to hallucinate again, you should drop out from the team and give up?" Hillary asked standing in front of Akira, her hands folded. She seemed to be very angry at Akira's latest decision.

"Apparently," Akira said staring at the floor.

"Of course not!" Hillary said, "You're not giving up now! This team needs a fifth member and that is you! This is your chance at turning a new leaf, get rid of your dark past once and for all. You said you've wanted to beyblade, right? That is what you have to do!"

"That is what you think Hillary. I've already caused so much trouble…" Akira remained unconvinced.

"Nonsense! You must take my words seriously Akira. You're seeing things because the Detective made you remember everything again… You must forget that past and start over. And we'll help you do that! Won't we guys?" Hillary said turning towards the Bladebreakers expectantly.

They looked as if they would go against her and Akira sighed in despair.

"Of course we will," Tyson said smiling and so did Max, Rei and Kenny.

"Told you so," Hillary said smiling at her, which now reflected on her lips.

"So you don't mind having me on your team?" Akira said as a smile crept onto her lips, and into her eyes. Hillary shook her head and Akira's smile widened.

A soft smile appeared on Kai's lips seeing Akira's eyes spring back to life. Those eyes spoke that night. They were filled with gratitude towards them, though she was still too adamant to say it out loud and accept it.

Yet, an important question lingered at the back of Kai's mind, _Was she hallucinating or had she really seen the vicious serpent?_

* * *

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	11. Mixed-up Priorities

Here's the next chapter! I hope you're liking the work! Please do leave your reviews and let me know! :)

* * *

_This is what I need, _Akira thought, her hands spread wide, cooling herself in the early morning breeze. She had been jogging for a while on a familiar path. She stood clutching the railing, fencing the cliff, _it would be nasty fall,_ she thought looking at its steepness.

"Akira?" she turned around to see Kai, who was there apparently for the same reason, jogging.

A tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks, remembering the events of the previous night.

"Oh… Kai? Didn't expect to see you up here," Akira said, not knowing what else to say.

"Neither did I," Kai said heading towards her. He stared into the landscape beyond them, as silence returned.

Her heart began to race, as he stood beside her, "Umm… Kai?"

Kai only looked at her for brief moment and returned to gazing at the landscape.

"I'm sorry…" she continued, "I've been too much of a…"

"The reason for the power cut was unknown," Kai said much to her surprise, "There was a sudden power surge followed by a black out. No damaged transformers, no tripping, overloads, nothing…"

"Why are you telling _me_ all of this?" Akira frowned.

"Let me ask you something… and I want an honest answer," his said sounding serious, "It wasn't a hallucination, was it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Kai."

"Don't lie to me Akira," Kai's tone did give her the chills.

Akira pursed her lips, "It was real. I could feel its power…"

"No doubt you reacted like that," Kai said smirking.

"It has gotten all the more powerful Kai… much more powerful than it was."

"Don't you think we should be telling Detective Toshi about this encounter of yours?" Kai said looking at her with a grave demeanor.

"No… we can't," Akira snapped at him, "He'll never let me step out of Japan. And I can't afford that…" she stopped abruptly.

"And why is it so important to you?" Kai asked, "I'm sure it is much more than just the championships."

Akira's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

"You might fool the others Akira. But not me," Kai continued, "You're more worried about going out of Japan than being on the team."

"It is none of your business Kai," Akira said turning defensive, getting rid of the frown on her face.

"You're sadly mistaken," Kai said, "Now that you _are_ on the team, it is."

"Look Kai… this championship is important to me, very important. Trust me, you've no reason to consider that I might be potential criminal who should be locked behind the bars," Akira said folding her hands.

"I know. But, what I also know is that you are in potential danger and might in turn harm my team," Kai said.

"I am a part of _your_ team too."

"Not if I decide otherwise."

"But, your team wants me to be there for them. It's a majority opinion you see," she said unaffected by his threaten.

"That is because they like playing the good Samaritans. Besides, that Tyson, he has dealt with much darker shades of insanity," Kai said smirking, "I still get to have the final word anyway."

"What do you want Kai?" Akira said, "I thought you were someone I could trust."

"You can and in fact, I want you to," Kai continued after a pause, "But the question is can _we_ trust _you_?"

Akira looked him in the eye, her pride reflecting in her eyes, besides the genuineness of what she was going to say, "Yes. You can."

[Akira's POV]

And I just left. I just turned my back to him, leaving him there, not another word. I didn't bother to wait for his reaction to what I'd just said. And why did I do that?

I was hurt. Yes, I was. Of all people I hadn't expected Kai to come to me and say all that he had just said. I thought I could trust him. I thought he'd believe me. Of course I was plain stupid to even consider that as an option. I mean why would he believe me? Why?

We weren't exactly friends, right? We weren't anything. We were just two people who knew each other's names and were supposed to be in some sort of a team until the next one month or so. That's it. Well, we do know a little more than just each other's names. Yet, he had every right to ask me if he could trust me. Considering all the trouble I was in right now. Who wouldn't? The Bladebreakers had been in enough trouble already, from what I'd read in papers, and they would definitely not be willing to have another nut case creating trouble for them. Wait. What did I just call myself? Nut case? I sighed, realizing that I was taking Kai's words a little too seriously.

But, the way he had calmed me down last night and assured me that everything would be fine, it felt so serene, so secure, like there was nothing for me to fear… Hmmm… maybe he was just trying to keep me from creating more trouble for them.

Whatever that was… I'm out of the illusion now. I couldn't care less about Kai and all the other 'good Samaritans', like Kai described them. I have more important things to worry about. Begging Kai to keep me on the team is the last thing I would do. I'd rather be damned before doing that. He wants to kick me out? Let him. In fact I'm quite sure that the jerk doesn't even have the authority to do that! Oh God! What's wrong with me? Just forget about him!

* * *

**_The previous night after Akira fell asleep…_**

_"Do you think its fine Kai?" Hillary asked Kai after she made sure that Akira couldn't hear them, "Having her on the team?"_

_The boys turned towards her, with raised eyebrows and some frowns. _

_"You're asking now?" Tyson said, anger in his voice rising._

_"What should I have told her? Oh, yes. Please get out? Huh?" Hillary demanded, her hands folded across her chest._

_"Definitely not. But, we could've definitely asked her more questions Hillary. That is if you had let any of us do that," Ray said equally upset._

_"Look… We definitely wouldn't have insulted her or something. But, you know, better safe than sorry," Max said leaning against the wall, his hands dug into his pockets._

_Kai eyed his teammates with a certain amount of disbelief. They seemed to have finally become vigilant and have learnt not to trust people blindly._

_"I'm sure Mr. Dickenson knows about her too. He knows everything. Remember our first championships? He knew about Kai all along…" Kenny added his two cents worth only to be interrupted by a frustrated Kai, "I would be more than glad if my topic isn't touched again Kenny."_

_"Ummm… Sorry Kai. I didn't mean to offend you…" Kenny said regretting the mention of Kai._

_"The same way Hillary didn't mean to offend me back there?" he said and shot a glare at Hillary. She avoided his gaze and suddenly showed excessive interest in the wooden boards that comprised the floor._

_"Why don't you leave it me?" Kai announced, "To decide if she could be trusted or not. And Kenny did point out something valid. Mr. Dickenson does know about, in fact a lot more than we do."_

_"So he definitely wouldn't put the team in danger, right?" Hillary said all perked up, "That means we can trust her!"_

_"Probably," Kai said._

_"We need an impartial judge in this matter," Tyson said, "I don't see how Kai is the right choice considering that Akira has a very distracting effect…"_

_"You clearly don't value your life the way you should, do you Tyson?" Kai said glowering at Tyson, "And one of these days you're going to regret it."_

_Tyson smirked while the rest sweat dropped._

Kai recollected the conversation that happened the previous night while he watched Akira walk away. He knew she was angry, she was probably cursing him this very moment. But, he didn't care, now that he was sure they could trust her.

* * *

**_Moscow_**

It's been a week since Julia and Raul had arrived in Moscow, yet, nothing changed. Tala and Julia had been their usual grouchy selves with each other. Julia had tried to mend things only to be rejected by Tala.

"Let him go to hell!" Julia finally exploded, while packing some final stuff she needed. Raul sat in far corner of the room, eyeing his sister worriedly, "You should stop thinking about him. You're kind of becoming obsessive."

"Obsessive and me?" Julia said glaring daggers at her brother.

"He already said he didn't care, didn't he? Then why are you still…" Raul said, ready to duck in case she threw anything malicious at him. He knew well enough that her anger was unpredictable.

"That is what pisses me off. The rest of them talk to me, we even train together. But, that moron…? He even refuses to practice with me! He ignores me and treats me like I don't even exist…" Julia's ramblings were unstoppable.

"_That_ is your problem," Raul snapped, fed up of his sister, "You don't want his forgiveness! You want his attention! The fact that he is ignoring you is pissing you off!"

"What crap? I hate him for all I care! Why would _I _want his attention?"

"Then what is your problem? If you hate him so much then you should be happy that he is coming nowhere near you!" Raul hurled the magazine in his hand at the floor and slammed the door behind him, leaving his sister to contemplate what he had just said.

Julia was quite troublesome at times. Raul shook his head and headed downstairs. At this rate he would go mad within no time. Julia never seemed to discuss any of her personal issues with him. He wondered what had gotten into her lately. He himself had told her once that she could rely on him too, whenever she needed him. But this? This was insane. Though Julia never mentioned Tala even once to him during their stay there, he knew she had always been thinking about him. One thing he knew for sure, Tala did disturb Julia to distraction.

* * *

**_A few minutes later…_**

Julia had again wandered off into one of those strange woods behind the team's place of stay. They weren't woods exactly, just a patch of trees, not very old, which led to stream of water.

Julia found it to be a peaceful place to concentrate and train. Only then, her ears became alert to a familiar buzz of the engine gear and the metallic rattling of two beyblades. Julia tiptoed in the direction of the sound, careful not to interrupt the bey battle. She was all the more surprised to see a certain red haired blading standing on the bank of the stream, battling with a young boy, who seemed to be a rookie.

"Awww! Not again!" the boy wailed and sank to the ground as his blade got knocked out, probably failing him in another of his repeated attempts. She looked up at Tala wondering what he was doing blading with a young boy, moreover, a rookie.

Tala smiled at the kid in front of him. Julia blinked in disbelief. No, that wasn't a smirk, it was a genuine smile! Her eyes widened in surprise as Tala knelt before the boy and picked up the boy's beyblade, "Here," he said, handing the blade to the boy, "Let's try it again."

"It is waste," the boy said, slumping his shoulders in dismay, "I won't get it."

"So you're going to give up? That's the last thing I expected from you," Tala said, the boy's blade still in his outstretched hand.

"You're not disappointed in me?" the boy asked. He had his back towards Julia and hence she couldn't make out if the boy was happy or the opposite.

"I am, now that you want to give up," Tala said feigning disappointment.

"Of course not!" the boy sprang to his feet. He was about to launch his blade when he stopped abruptly, "Shit! I totally forgot!"

"Is something wrong?" Tala inquired.

"My mama wanted me to buy something on the way home and I forgot! I'm going to be totally grounded for this…" the boy thrust the blade and the accessories back into his pocket, and waved at Tala, "See you tomorrow Tala… I'm so sorry. I've gotta go now!"

"We won't be seeing each other for a while now," Tala shouted out to the boy.

He stopped and turned around, "Oh yeah I forgot!" he said brightening up, "The Championships! The Blitzkrieg boys must win the title this time too… I know the Bladebreakers are back and all this time... But still! Make us proud you guys! Make us proud." With a final wave at Tala the boy made his way out of the woods.

Julia eyes were fixed on boy and she failed to see that Tala was walking right towards her; unmistakably he had spotted her spying on him.

Julia realized it, only too late.

"You should be minding your own business, you see," Tala said standing threateningly close to her. A head taller than her, Tala seemed a little intimidating to her, not that she was scared or anything. She took a step back to reduce the close proximity, to hit the trunk of the tree she was hiding behind.

Their eyes locked momentarily. _What could she expect from those cold blue eyes?_ She thought, _more hatred for her? _

Strangely, those cold blue eyes didn't seem so cold at all. They intrigued her as she tried to decipher them. "You take a lot of interest in me," Tala continued, "for someone who claims to hate me so much."

Tala took a step closer to her eliminating the distance between them. Julia tried to step back only to find herself trapped against the tree. "Of course I hate you," Julia said, through her gritted teeth. He now placed a hand on the tree, her eyes following it. She could hear the drumming of her heart, drowning every other sound around her.

"Do you?" Tala asked, his face only a few inches away from her hers.

"Yes, I do." Saying it out loud wasn't as simple as that answer was. Julia couldn't find her voice for his presence was overwhelming. His gaze fixed on her and that smirk still present on his lips… All she had to do was push him away and she would be free. Free of her uncontrollably increasing heart beat, her inability to speak and most of all, her inability to think clearly. Only, her hands had no intention to listen to her logical mind. Maybe Raul was right, she wanted Tala's attention. And now that she had it, she wasn't particularly comfortable with it.

As Tala inched closer to her, she heard her name being called out, "Julia?"

Raul's voice was all that she needed to push Tala away and dart towards her brother, "Raul? What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking that…" Raul stopped short of the sentence upon seeing the reason for the panic in his sister's voice. He narrowed his eyes at Tala, who was now leaning against the same tree, his hands folded across his chest, his eyes fixed on Julia.

"Jules, what's going on here?" Raul asked.

"Nothing," Julia said, took him by his hand and turning him away from Tala, "Let's go back inside. I guess we'll be leaving for the airport in an hour, won't we?" She literally dragged him out of the woods, glancing back at Tala one final time. She regretted doing so for it had sent chills down her spine. She couldn't deny the fact that his eyes had returned to their cold self, steadily fixed on her and a very familiar smirk on his lips.

* * *

Please do leave your review! :)


	12. Reunions

**_silverstaar18:_**_ Thanks a lot for the review! I didn't make Tala anything he wasn't! :p But, I'm glad his character was appealing. I would only say, you would be getting more of it as the story proceeds. About the longer chapters... i'll try. But I can't really assure anything. _

**I really want to know if the readers are actually liking this fanfic or not. That would help me decide if I should continue with it or not. Moreover the reviews would definitely give me all the encouragement I need! ****So please don't forget to leave your reviews!**

* * *

**_New York_**

A pair of green orbs stared blankly at the board flashing different flight schedules. She felt a sudden nudge at her shoulder, as she swiveled around to see a blonde haired blader smiling down at her.

Mariam rolled her eyes, "What is it Michael?"

"You worry too much," Michael Parker said, turning her away from the schedules, "It is time for our flight."

"Whatever makes you think I'm worried?" she said and gently brushed his hand away from her shoulder. "You don't seem to be paying attention to whatever that was appearing up there," he said jerking his thumb in the direction of the schedules, "otherwise you wouldn't have needed me to come and fetch you."

Mariam could now hear the final announcement for their flight and sighed, "Let's go."

* * *

**_Moscow_**

The Russians along with the new addition to their team boarded their flight to Hong Kong. Ian, Bryan and Raul spotted their seats in the middle aisle. Tala managed to find his seat, the one beside the window. He turned to his side to see Julia standing there, glowering at him… no… at the seat beside him. It wasn't hard for him guess that the seat has been reserved for her. He smirked at the thought of it, only the smirk didn't show on his lips.

"Ma'am, please take your seat. We'll have…"

Julia didn't let the air hostess complete her sentence and slumped into her seat. She grimaced at the thought of having to bear Tala for another 9 hours or so. She had been finding him strangely irksome ever since that little encounter of theirs in the woods.

Tala leaned towards Julia, alarming her with his sudden closeness and whispered into her ear, "Bon voyage!" Her eyes widened, she felt his warm breath on her bare neck, for she had her long brown hair swept up in a pony tail, her orange bangs messy as ever. She felt her heart beat quicken, "Excuse me," she blurted out, meaning to beckon one of the air hostesses now attending to other passengers.

Tala eyed her curiously, wondering what she was planning to do now. Ian turned around recognizing Julia's voice. Raul and Bryan were curious too as there was a slight hint of panic in her voice.

"Yes Ma'am. How can I help you?" the same air hostess who had previously asked Julia to take her seat, asked.

"Can I have a change of seat, please?" Julia almost begged her. The air hostess' eyes darted towards Tala who looked innocently at her.

"Sure ma'am I'll see if I can do something."

A few minutes later Ian and Bryan were trying real hard to stop themselves from bursting into a fit of laughter. However, Raul failed.

Julia cursed the foolish air hostess and herself for even asking her in the first place. She looked up, her fists balled and later looked at the window right beside her. Great! All routes of escape sealed! She turned to her right to see Tala trying to suppress a chuckle, "More comfortable now?" he asked pointing at the window seat she was sitting in, which was previously occupied by Tala. Tala comfortably sat in her seat(previously belonging to her) his elbow propped up on the arm rest, giving her an amused look, "Looks like a real nice change of seat."

* * *

**_Tokyo_**

"What has the world come to?" Hillary complained her hands on her hips, "_You _are late!"

"That's it? That's it?" Tyson stomped his way towards Hillary and Kai, "You would have been screaming your head off, if it had been me!"

"Of course. Are you blind Tyson? It is not you. It is Kai. There is always a first time for everything. Since it is the first time… forgiven," the brunette said and picked up her bag, "Let's go. We're already late."

The team moved ahead, Tyson still complaining how partial she was and Hillary yelling back at him to stop fussing like a kid. Kai stole a glance at Akira from the corner of his eye who seemed to be aloof from everything around her. She walked towards him, dragging her luggage behind her. She paused for a moment when her lilac eyes met his crimson orbs. He spotted a slight frown. She didn't waste any more of her time staring at him, but simply walked past him, unaffected by his steady gaze upon her.

She was going to ignore him now? He was amused by the fact that she decided to ignore him after what she had previously said in the morning, _"I thought you were someone I could trust…" _The hurt in her voice was apparent, which meant he had affected her. He also recollected how she had tried to talk to him that morning, starting off with a sorry and all. Probably, she would have thanked him for helping her out, if he hadn't started off with his own set of questions, or rather mild accusations and ending up rubbing her off in the wrong way. Not that he cared. But, considering the fact that whatever she had told them about her past was true and this was her first shot at coming out of the shell she had always been in, he couldn't help being a little sorry for her. He knew she_ might_ need a friend, someone she could rely on… only, it wasn't going to be him. She has to find somebody else. He was content with the way his life had been shaping up recently, and last thing he needed was some girl forcing her way in, intentionally or unintentionally!

* * *

**_Hong Kong_**

The airport was buzzing with reporters and Beyblade fans, who were eagerly waiting for the arrival of their favorite teams. The Bladebreakers arrived at the airport. The reporters who had been waiting up until then, pounced upon them, innumerable camera flashes blinding the Bladebreakers. Akira winced at the sudden uproar from the fans and was more than uncomfortable with the microphones being thrust into her face.

"What do you have to say about the recent murder back in Japan?" one of the reporters questioned while the other, "Sources say you have been detained for the same?"

Hillary was going to jump to her rescue when Akira raised a hand asking her to remain where she was. "Do I look like I was detained? If I was I wouldn't be here, would I?" Akira said, with a confidence filled voice and her eyes showing no sign of fear. She wasn't going to let people go around accusing her of rubbish. Silence fell upon the horde of reporters, only it didn't last long and they broke out into another list of questions now directed at the rest of the bladers. This only earned the reporters, a firm shove backwards by the bodyguards, who were now carefully leading their prey away from them.

"That was quite bold of you," Hillary remarked as soon as they got into their bus. Hillary settled down beside a window and Akira sat down in a seat behind her. "I don't like people going around accusing me of shit I didn't do," Akira snapped.

"No one's accusing you of anything Akira," Hillary tried to calm her down.

"Says you," Akira said and closed her eyes blocking away everything else.

"That went well," Rei said to Max, pointing at Akira.

"She has been like that all day?" Max turned towards Tyson.

"Sort of…" Tyson said shrugging.

"The press and all that attention might have freaked her out. She'll get used to it," Kenny said.

"I highly doubt that. Looking at the way she answered them…" Rei said, only to be stopped by Akira herself, "I'm still here by the way," Her hand shot up from her place and she waved it, "See?"

Hillary sighed shaking her head, "This isn't going to be easy."

Kai paid no attention to all of this as his mind drifted back to a particular phone call that was the reason for his unexpected delay at the airport.

_"What took you so long?" Kai snapped at the man on the phone with him._

_"Nothing is as easy as it looks. So, I'd expect you to be a little more thankful than this," the man said not impressed by the way he was greeted._

_"I'm getting late. You know I have a plane to catch! So what did you find, Andrei?" Kai asked._

_"Nothing except a name; she never mentioned anything about the father at the orphanage. You wanna guess what her last name was?" _

_"Andrei!" Kai warned him not to waste his time._

_Kai listened in silence as his eyes widened in shock, "Are you sure?" _

_"Damn sure Kai. That is what they said…" Andrei told his boss. About six years older than Kai, Andrei and Kai met for the first time in the Abbey and he was one of those who helped Kai reform the Abbey._

_"She sure doesn't look anything like him. No one would even think about it…" Kai said still unable to accept what he had just heard._

_"It might not be him Kai. The family name can belong to somebody else too… But, she looks exactly like her mother. I've seen her mother's picture, during her stay at the orphanage, for about fifteen days before she delivered."_

_"Oh…" was all Kai said and Andrei continued, "If anyone who knew her mother back then saw her, they would definitely recognize Akira as her daughter. They definitely will."_

_"Hn."_

_"I still have to visit the asylum. It wouldn't be easy finding out things there, quite difficult."_

_"Nothing is difficult for you Andrei," Kai said getting up from his arm chair._

_"It is easy for you to say. I'm the one doing all the snooping around here," Andrei said not sounding happy._

_"Andrei, are you complaining? Because if you're, I don't really have the time for it and I'm going to go now…"_

_"Of course not. How dare I complain?" Andrei said, his words dripping with sarcasm, "You can't go since you haven't heard the half of it." _

_"What is it?" Kai asked losing his patience._

_"The dead guy," Andrei paused, "I recognize him from the Abbey. He used to do Boris' dirty work. Like capturing and luring the kids into the Abbey. Finishing off any sort of threat, if you know what I mean."_

_"What?" Kai was clearly taken aback. _

_"I'm positive, it is him. I've been around the Abbey a little longer than you. Trust me, I know what I'm saying. They used to call him Karl, not whatever the Police is calling him now."_

"Kai? Kai?" Rei's voice woke him up. He had slipped into sleep somehow and from the looks of it they had reached their hotel.

The team exited the bus to be greeted by a familiar team, only find someone along with them, quite out of place.

"Look whose here," Oliver said as he spotted the Bladebreakers walking towards them. His eyes narrowed when they fell upon the newest member of the team, Akira.

Akira returned Oliver's gesture with a smirk. A soft smile appeared on Oliver's lips and over his shoulder he called out for his Scottish team mate, "Hey! Johnny! You have trouble walking towards you as we speak."

Wondering what Oliver was referring to, Johnny followed Oliver's gaze to spot a raven haired girl, smirking at him. He frowned and stepped forward. Robert and Enrique recognized the trouble Oliver was talking about.

"Aha… Long time no see guys!" Tyson said, his excitement evident in his voice. He had been away from the Championships for an year and now he was going to win it all back!

"What a surprise!" Enrique said looking at Akira, "I didn't expect to see you again beautiful." He winked at her, as the Bladebreakers sweat dropped. Oliver face palmed and Johnny almost chocked on his spit.

Akira spoke, aware of her teammates staring at her, "I believe I have a score to settle," she said.

"I don't believe you're still at it!" Robert said his hands folded.

"You still remember me, don't you? So I guess I've made my mark," Akira said smirking.

Hillary finally stepped in feeling left out, "Hello? Are we supposed to know something here?"

Robert looked at Hillary and then at Akira, "You are very much like a certain blader I know and he is standing right next you."

Tyson realized rather quickly that Robert was speaking about him, "Like _me_?"

"Yes," Robert continued, "She challenged us at a tournament in London about six months back."

"London? You were in London before?" Kenny asked, surprised by this newly discovered piece of information.

"I've lived there for a while," Akira agreed.

"Then how come I haven't found you registered anywhere?"

"Oh no. It wasn't official," Enrique explained to Kenny, "She challenged us like Tyson challenged us back then and she even managed to tie with Oliver."

"What?" Rei exclaimed, "She tied with Oliver?" Rei had fought Oliver before and he knew very well that Oliver was a powerful blader. Akira glared at Rei for having indirectly insulted by his expression of disbelief. Rei mouthed a silent sorry and Akira turned away frowning. Kai looked at Akira, his eyebrows shot up in disbelief too.

"See? I was surprised too…" Johnny said, "It was by luck, if not anything else. But it didn't last long. I defeated her, fair and square."

"That is an old story Johnny," Akira said, her voice firm.

"Oh yeah?" Johnny mocked her.

"Just wait until I wipe that smirk off your face Johnny," Akira's voice was filled with hatred for the _Gladiator of Glasgow_, who merely said, "In your dreams."

"Might as well be in your nightmares," Johnny was surprised to hear that from Tyson. "Anything can happen, Johnny," Max joined Tyson.

Johnny raised an eyebrow at the two Bladebreakers when Robert intervened aware of Johnny's volatile temper, "Why don't we all get inside huh?"

"Is Miguel really with you guys this time?" Kenny asked an odd question.

"Believe it or not, I am," Miguel said, finally able to join the conversation.

"You don't sound very happy," Max said to Miguel as they entered the lobby of the hotel, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"Well, I'm happy to make it to the Championships. I'm not what you'd call… delighted, to do it without my own team. You see those Majestics? They can be a real pain sometimes," Miguel said pointing at one of the Majestics whom Max promptly recognized as Johnny. Max chuckled as his eyes searched for someone he had been longing to see. And they spotted her. Max stepped away from Miguel and walked towards the reception where the blunette stood, her back towards the very person she had been inquiring about.

"Mariam?" Max said as Mariam froze in her spot. She spun around, right into his arms, "Max!"

Her voice turned every head in the lobby towards them. Max pulled her away slightly.

"Max! I missed you…" Mariam said cupping his face. Paying no heed to the attention they were attracting, Max silenced her right away, kissing her deeply. He had missed her too! Now that they were back together, he was determined to make up for all that time they spent away from each other. They were forced to spend, that is.

"Couldn't they just wait until they got to their rooms?" Tyson said and rolled his eyes. Hillary smacked him in the head, "Shut up!"

"So that is Mariam?" Akira asked Hillary.

"Yes," she told Akira, "They have had a tough time."

"Well, it shows," she said raising her eyebrows at the sight of the couple, who didn't seem to care about the fact that they were in a hotel lobby, under the piercing gazes of other guests of the hotel. She could see an elderly woman shaking her head in disapproval, while her husband shrugged her off. If not for the sudden flash from the camera of a paparazzi(Akira suspected, she wasn't sure) , the kiss would never have been broken, though it wasn't exactly a long one.

"Bloody hell!" Hillary cursed and it turned out Akira had guessed it right.

The woman at the reception desk, who seemed to be enjoying the brief romance in front of her desk, was quite disappointed when the flash disrupted the scene. She vented out her disappointment on the guy who had just clicked the picture of Max and Mariam's reunion, "You're not allowed to do that Mister, at least not in here! Mark! How could you let him get in?" she said signaling at one of the hotel staff to take care of the guy.

"Yes Han. We have to detain you and call the security if you don't hand over that," the bigger man warned the one with the camera. He had dealt with him before and he wouldn't let him pester anymore of their celebrity guests.

"What? The BBA's got detaining orders against us now? It's not like we're going to stalk them or something. We definitely won't if they are as cooperative as…" Han winked at Max, which didn't really auger well for him. Max went for him in a fit of rage, fortunately blocked by Mark, just in time. Even Mariam pulled Max away, "Leave it to them!"

"We have special orders against you Han. Now give me the camera," saying so Mark snatched the camera from Han and deleted the picture he had just taken and a few others he felt objectionable which earned a stream of curses from Han. Mark escorted Han out of the hotel, warning him not to be seen lurking around the premises again, which he knew was a futile.

"Rei!?" the voice of a pink haired blader sounded like music to Rei. He made sure there was no other Han around before darting off in her direction. "Here goes another," Tyson said throwing himself into one of the many couches in the lobby, "Will somebody fetch the keys of the rooms please? Unlike some of my teammates here, I am hungry!"

"Oh when are you not Tyson?" Hillary pointed out and walked towards the reception, Kenny following her, to get their keys.

* * *

**Please ****review****! :)**


	13. Secrets

** shanaya:** _Thanks a lot for the review! I'm really glad you've liked the story so far! Please do not apologize. And I'm going to continue the story. I've had a more than a 1000 hits and that is enough an incentive for me to continue. But, I'd love to have more people reviewing and I'm really thankful to you for your review! _

* * *

**_A slum in Mumbai, India. _**

She couldn't believe they had discovered her! She collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. "Where is he?" she hissed.

She pulled her hood even lower to cover the exposed skin of her face, her eyes frantically searching for a ray of hope, "I hope he is safe!"

She gathered her wits and took to her heels. She couldn't stop, no matter what. They had only discovered her house and they would only find it useless. She knew God was on her side that day, for she was lucky enough to spot a suited up man around the corner of her street, a sight that was a rarity. You don't usually have the presence of such men in a rundown community, mostly inhabited with people below the poverty line. He saw him walk towards the house, rather a shack, at the end of rugged lane. She couldn't see what was going on inside. _It can be nothing, _she had told herself, while her honed instincts told her otherwise. She pulled the blinds of her window as soon as she saw that the visitor was now accompanied by the shack's resident, guiding him towards her house.

"Damn it!"

She yanked her readily packed bag out the cupboard, grabbed her phone on the desk near the window and made her way out of the backdoor. Fleeing was not new to her; a constant necessity in the past four years. As long as the secret remained guarded with her she will have to keep running. To save the life of an innocent girl and millions of others, she has to run.

However, after two years of exile, she found someone she could trust. She's been working with him for the past two years. Yet, she had to live and move in complete secrecy for her quest wasn't complete. She knew he would help her safeguard the almost ragged diary she'd been safeguarding with her life. When she had told him that the secrets of the diary were to remain unknown, he made a shocking revelation. Two rocks out of the trio have already been discovered and were being experimented on. Though the third rock was yet to be found, two could create enough destruction as it is. He had then assured her that they were in safe hands and the diary would be removed to a secure location relieving her of the burden. Moreover, he pointed out to her that the information of that sort must be handled by professionals and she wouldn't be able to protect it efficiently. She laughed at the prospect initially, but when he told her about the organization funding the experiments and the kind of people who were after her, she changed her mind.

She soon reached the main road, undetected. It was around eight o'clock in the night and the traffic was heavy; heavy enough to prevent any vehicle from following her. She quickly crossed the road, making way through the closely packed traffic, to spot the person she was looking for.

A wave of relief washed over her as the young man, not older than twenty seven, sprinted towards her, "Are you alright, Zoya?"

"That is the last of our concerns Hiro! We must get this to safety," Zoya said holding the diary in front of him. Nearly thirty nine, Zoya hardly looked her age. Passing for a woman in her late twenties or early thirties was something she could do and no one would even notice. That particular trait was put to use several times in the four years she had spent in secrecy, most times pretending to be someone she was not.

Hiro nodded and led her towards a restaurant, a place Zoya had frequented a lot in the past few days. She was now confident that they would escape and the diary would be secured soon.

* * *

**_Hong Kong_**

"Lee! Here…" Mariah waved at the White Tiger talking to a guy, unknown to Rei. With long flaxen hair tied in with a band, he stood an inch or two taller than Lee and looked a little older than they were.

Lee looked at Rei, a smile appearing on his lips. The two of them walked towards Rei and Mariah. Rei leaned towards her, "Who is he?" Rei noticed a pair of golden orbs, similar to his own, fixed on him. A strange feeling crept into him as he realized that the guy's face had a vague familiarity about it.

"Nice to see you again buddy," Lee said and turned towards Mariah, "Happy?"

"Yup!" Mariah said, blushing.

"She couldn't wait to meet you. She's been preparing gifts for you too…" Lee eyed Mariah suspiciously, stressing on the gift part.

"Really?" Rei looked at Mariah faking excitement, for he knew very well what that 'gift' was.

He then turned towards the stranger in the group, "I guess he's the new recruit?"

"Seiran," the newbie said to Rei.

"Your first time at the championships?" Rei asked, a sudden uncertainty arising in his voice. _Seiran, where did I hear that name before?_ Rei tensed as the name echoed in his ears.

"Rei!" Kenny's voice snapped him out of his trance, "We've got the keys. You're coming?"

Kenny spotted the flaxen haired blader standing with the White Tigers. _Must be their fifth member, _Kenny guessed.

"We're not gonna steal him away Kenny!" Mariah turned to answer Kenny, "Why the hurry?"

"Oh I know…" Kenny said slinging his bag over his shoulder, "No hurry Rei. #3025 it is; whenever you plan on coming back."

"I'll be there right away," Rei said and then pulled Mariah into a hug, "at 2, the lobby," he whispered into her ear and followed Kenny to the elevator.

"See you in the morning Lee!" Rei parted from them, leaving a perplexed Lee to wonder, "That was quick."

"It is late Lee. I'm sure he's tired, that's it," Mariah said flashing him a smile. _Lobby, 2 AM, _she reminded herself.

* * *

Akira dragged her luggage behind her along the corridor looking for their room.

"Here, I found it," Hillary said pulling Akira to a halt, "#3030" She pointed towards the ebony veneered door at the far end of the corridor. Akira stood outside an identical door, and she turned to see the number on it when the door opened to reveal their captain stepping out. Akira took a step back to avoid a collision, stumbled into her suitcase.

Kai's hand shot out to help her and she pushed it away, balancing herself at the same time, "I don't need your help," she hissed at him.

"But I need you to move out of my way," Kai pointed out.

Akira shot him a glare and walked towards Hillary, who seemed to sense the tension between Kai and Akira.

Kai left the place too, but glancing back at her once, the conversation of the recent phone call playing at the back of his mind. He had asked Andrei to find out about Akira only to make sure she posed no threat to the team. But now? Despite his best efforts he couldn't keep himself from finding out more about her. The name her mother gave in the orphanage was enough to make him all the more curious about her. A part of him wanted to stay away from her while another part of him wished otherwise.

* * *

**_#3030 1:30AM_**

Akira squinted and then rubbed her eyes. Her hand felt around for her phone on the table beside her bed. Upon finding her phone she checked the time, _Isabel must be free by now._

Her eyes darted towards her roommate, fast asleep in her bed, a few feet away from hers. Akira slipped down from her bed and stealthily tiptoed on her way out of the room. She heaved a sigh of relief for having successfully exited the room without waking the brunette up.

The corridor was lit at the center, near the elevator and the steps, while the other wing remained in complete darkness. She strode towards the flight of stairs and settled down on the first step. She dialed Isabel's number and eagerly waited for her to take the call.

"Akira?" Isabel sounded a little worried, "We were contacted by detective Akiyama Toshi. He was asking questions about why we adopted you and so on. Is everything fine dear?"

"Yes Isabel, everything is fine. That detective is sure frustrated that he's not able to pin anything on me!" Akira said sounding irritated. She loathed Akiyama now.

"My, my, you sound so angry! Shiro said he'll make sure that detective doesn't create any trouble, so you don't have to worry…"

"No… ask Shiro to relax. I mean it…"

"Hmmm… alright. So, how are your friends? Most importantly why are you up so late?"

"I wanted to talk to you… and they are not my friends!"

"What has happened Akira? You sound very upset…"

"They don't trust me…" Akira trailed off.

"Did they say that to you?" Isabel asked.

"Kai asked me if they could trust me…"

"Kai? You mean that boy who took care of you when you fainted…?"

"He didn't take care of me…!"

"Now, let's not argue upon that… If they don't trust you, which is quite natural given the situation, earn their trust…" Isabel said.

"Earn their trust…? But…"

"It is entirely my fault dear, letting you coil into that shell of yours. Not even sending you to a normal school, so that you could make friends… That is one of the most important reasons I got convinced when you said you wanted to participate in this championships. I still remember how you used to practice day and night to make yourself better. I remember your courage when you went ahead challenging bladers… I was scared you might hurt yourself… and now I regret that! There is a world for you beyond just the three of us Akira…" Isabel paused and her voice filled an essence of pride and happiness, "Trust me! Shiro was so happy when you qualified for the championships! He wanted come all the way to Hong Kong for the inaugural tournament. But, he had to leave for London…"

"Wait… you're alone in Paris right now?" Akira asked startled by the fact that she wasn't told about Shiro leaving for London.

"Umm… yes. You don't have to worry about me. Now, you heard me, didn't you? I want you make friends! And…"

"What?"

"A boyfriend too if…"

"Isabel!" Akira exclaimed, "That is last thing I want to hear from you…"

"What's wrong in that…?"

"I'm going to get some sleep… Good night!"

"Akira… listen to me…"

Akira cut the call and shook her head in disapproval. She remembered the day she met them for the first time.

_"What should I be calling you?" A petite girl, fourteen years old, asked the young couple standing in front of her, their doting gaze upon her._

_"Whatever you feel like dear," Isabel knelt down to her and cupped Akira's face, "I'm Isabel."_

_Akira nodded and turned towards the man standing beside Isabel, "Shiro," he said to her and smiled._

_"Isabel and Shiro," Akira repeated, "Can I call you with your names?"_

_Isabel's face fell in disappointment. Shiro placed his on Isabel's shoulder and nodded reassuringly at her. Isabel's face brightened and she turned to face Akira, "Yes, you can."_

Since then Isabel and Shiro have been the most important people in her life. Someone she could trust and rely on. Someone, who would be there for her no matter what! Akira smiled as all those memories she shared with the couple flashed in front of her. That was when she heard a door open. She saw two familiar silhouettes in the corridor. She descended down the stairs and hid herself from their view. Kai and Rei, fortunately for her, decided to take the elevator, while Akira could clearly hear their words as they walked towards it.

"Does Lee know about it?" Kai asked.

"No, he doesn't. I specifically instructed her not to tell him," Rei answered as the elevator doors slid open, "And I called Judy…" were the last words Akira heard before the doors closed.

_What is it that they are so secretive about… at this hour of the night? And Lee doesn't know…? Isn't he the captain of the White Tigers? What is going on? _A lot of questions popped up in Akira's mind. Her curiosity got the better of her and she headed downstairs to find out the answers.

* * *

**Aha! Finally, got the chapter done! Sorry for the delay!**

**This chapter has got a lot of crucial questions.**

**Who is Zoya? And what is that diary about? Hiro is in India and helping Zoya! ****Who is Seiran and why does Rei find him familiar? **This is something that'll be revealed as the story proceeds.

**Mariah has a secret there and so do Kai and Rei, not to forget Judy...**

**Want to know what that is all about? You'll find out the in the next chapter.**

**Until then... take care!**

**And...**

**Please do leave your review****! :) **


	14. A New Mission for Akira

**I'm extremely sorry for the delay! Lots of apologies! I was tied up with a college project of mine!**

**Anyways thanks for the reviews!**

**_shanaya_: Thank you and sorry to keep you waiting! I hope you'll like the secret, though I haven't revealed much of it! ;)**

**_Guest_: Thanks for the review! Better late than never... ;) I hope you'll enjoy rest of the story too!**

**All I ask from my readers is some patience with this chapter, because the story would pick up pace from now on and I can assure some fireworks in the coming ones! :D**

* * *

**_Earlier in the night in Tokyo (10:00PM)_**

"You talked to Dr. Judy Tate?" Aiko asked Toshi with a puzzled look on her face, "Why?"

"Shhh…!" Toshi placed a finger on his mouth, "Let's leave this place first. Come!"

Toshi literally dragged Aiko out of his cabin and they headed out of the Police HQ together.

"I didn't expect her to respond right away," Toshi said steering his car towards a diner, "Dinner?"

"Toshi! What are you trying to do?" Aiko asked in a stern voice.

"Nothing. Taking you out to dinner…?" Toshi said winking at her.

Aiko rolled her eyes, "I'm talking about the phone call to Dr. Tate!"

"Oh... that? Yeah… about that; why don't we order some dinner and then talk?"

Aiko sighed in exasperation, "You're impossible!" she muttered under her breath.

They placed the order and Aiko jumped right to the point, "Now are you going to tell me about the call or not?"

"You need to have some patience. Anyway, I got a call earlier in the evening. Kai was on his way to the airport when he called me," Toshi said and Aiko popped in a question, "You mean Kai Hiwatari? Why?"

"Let me complete Aiko," Toshi continued, "Akira had seen the bit beast last night. The same one that rendered her insane all those years back. She told Kai and he thought it would be best for me to know."

Aiko sat in front of him frowning, "But… how? How do we know who has that beast right now? And how is Dr. Tate related to all of this."

"You've ever heard of Dr. Zagart?" Toshi asked her as the dinner arrived at their table.

"Yeah… of course I did. He wanted to revive his android son and bring him to life…?" Aiko said taking a sip of water, "Tyson and his team did put a stop to his plans, didn't they?"

"Yes, they did. And the rock he used to retrieve the bit beasts was returned to the BBA research facility in New York, America, headed by Dr. Tate. Now, there is another thing we found on the victim's call records…" Toshi said waiting for Aiko to complete his sentence.

"Frequent calls to New York!" Aiko blurted out loud, which earned her stares from the customers around them. "Frequent calls to New York?" she repeated, now lowering her voice.

"Yes. And there has been another crack head who wanted to steal the Bladebreakers' bit beasts. He managed to create enough mess for the Government to be locked away for life…"

"Boris? Are you talking about Boris Balkov?"

"Yes, I'm talking about him. Apart from BEGA, he was secretly co-sponsoring an archeological dig, a dig to find a rock similar to the one retrieved from Dr. Zagart. Nothing more… he said nothing more than that. I happened to work on that case too, you know. I got into contact with the archeologists who worked for the BBA and Mr. Dickenson. Do you want to know what they told me?" Toshi said and continued, for Aiko was too transfixed to respond, "He, I mean Mr. Dickenson told me that they had already found two such rocks and the third one was missing from its place. It was clear to them that they were too late and another group of archeologists arrived there before them. This happened about two years ago…"

"Whoa wait!" Aiko raised her hand, "This is supposed to be classified information!"

"Yes, and since you're working with me on this recent case, you're supposed to know," Toshi continued, "That means the rock is now being used by a secret organization, known only to Boris. Meanwhile, Boris slipped into a coma and no one knows how and why! The bit beasts that were used by the missing bladers in the tournament have never been seen before. Now, there is no trace of those bladers either. The suspicion, thus shifts towards that 'secret' organization, Boris was funding. And there is always a missing Voltaire to consider!"

"And how does Akira fit into all this mess?" Aiko asked, "Did her bit beast come from the rock too?"

"No one knows," Toshi said, "All we know right now, from what Dr. Tate has told us, the bit beast is of a very ancient origin; a very mystical and powerful one!"

"She is indeed a target, isn't she?" Aiko asked, her eyebrows knit together in a frown, "And she is now being used as a bait!"

"You're catching up quite fast Aiko," Toshi said a grin plastered on his lips.

* * *

**_Hong Kong_**

Akira ducked behind the railing of those stairs as the elevator doors opened into the lobby, Kai and Rei exiting it.

"Where is Mariah?" Akira heard Rei asking somebody and she heard an unfamiliar voice, which belonged to woman, answering his question, "My room. Let's go." Akira could see the trio moving towards the rooms in the right wing of the ground floor. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. She was about to turn back when she heard a voice behind her. Akira gasped in horror and lost her balance. "What the fuck?" she snapped at the guy standing behind her, his hands in his pockets and a playful grin on his face.

"Spying huh?" the guy asked stepping towards Akira as she stepped down, facing him.

"That is none of your business," Akira hissed at him as his grin widened.

"What's going on up there?" a woman's voice was heard, the same as before.

"Nothing much, Dr. Tate. I just found somebody spying on us," he announced.

Judy frowned, "Robert? Who is it?"

"Why don't you come down?" Judy said, "The both of you?"

Akira descended the stairs and revealed herself, causing Rei to exclaim in disbelief, "Akira? What the hell? You were spying on us…?"

"No! I mean, I was sitting on the stairs talking on the phone when I heard you guys come out of your room. And I heard you mention something about a secret…" Akira tried to explain her interference in a matter that was absolutely none of her concern.

"And you got curious?" Kai butted in.

"Suspicious!" Akira accused, "Something the White Tigers' captain shouldn't know…? That did sound suspicious!"

When no one seemed convinced, she showed them her call log, which indicated a 20 minute call to Isabel.

"Akira?" Judy said, almost in whisper and gasped. Judy couldn't believe her eyes. Memories flashed in front of her eyes as tears filled them, "Oh my god!" She bit her lip and regretted saying that aloud. She quickly contained her tears and regained her composure.

"Akira?" Judy grabbed Akira's attention, "Follow us. Now guys quick!"

Without another word the boys followed Judy, while Akira stood rooted at her spot, stunned by the sudden turn of events. She certainly didn't expect an invitation to join them!

"You heard me," Judy said, "Come with us."

* * *

**_Ground Floor (#05)_**

Mariam went through the photographs Mariah had just shown her, again and again. She blinked at them and looked up to face her, "Are you sure these are the ones?"

"Of course!" Mariah said and slumped into the couch, "Where are they?"

Answering Mariah's question the door opened to reveal the wanted people entering the room, accompanied by someone uninvited.

"Looks like we have a guest..." Mariam said. Before she could complete her sentence, Mariah interrupted, "Isn't she the girl you just talked about? Akira?" She looked from the screen of the laptop in front of her to the girl standing at the door, who was now completely bemused.

"Why don't you people take a seat?" Judy said and walked towards the laptop seating herself beside Mariah. She pulled the laptop towards her and typed something into it. She then turned towards Akira and said, "You seem to be quite confused at the moment and I wouldn't blame you. I want you to take a look at some pictures, Akira, and tell me if you can understand them."

Akira nodded still unsure, as her lilac orbs eyed the people around her, a little skeptical.

Mariam handed Akira the digital camera, "The last five…"

"What makes you think she'll understand them?" Robert voiced his doubt.

"Well, Robert why don't you see for yourself?" Judy said and turned to face Akira again.

One look at the picture made Akira jump to her feet, "Where did you find these?"

"So you can read them? Those symbols… what do you understand Akira?" Judy asked in a very calm and cool tone, much to the surprise of Kai and Rei.

Kai frowned at this latest development.

"First answer my question! Where did you find these photographs?" Akira almost screamed.

"Hey calm down!" Mariah hissed, "You're going to wake others up! We don't need any attention okay?"

"Sorry…" Akira calmed down, "Dr. Tate, please tell me."

"I brought them from my village. These manuscripts have been in the White Tiger clan for a long time. They are present in the prayer den of our clan leader. I'm telling you it was extremely difficult to get those pictures without anybody noticing!" Mariah said folding her hands.

"Your village?" Akira asked frowning at the pink haired girl.

"Yes… and if you are done with your questions, tell us if you can read them."

"I understand them… and… I don't know how…" Akira said collapsing into the chair behind her.

"It is not you," Mariam said, "It is your bit beast. Serpa is a very ancient bit beast, in fact the one of the oldest spirits known."

"What are these anyway?" Akira asked.

"These manuscripts contain important information about certain rocks that have the sacred spirits resting in them," Kai said, "A bunch of Legends which these people," he pointed at Judy, "think are keys to a huge source of power."

"Two of those rocks are here with them, while the third is with a secret organization no one knows of and is allegedly responsible for what happened in Yokohama," Rei completed the answer to Akira's question.

"What!? You've gotta be kidding me!" Akira looked at them with disbelief.

"Of course not dear," Judy said, "We're not. No doubt you are in danger and you were targeted for a very important reason."

"Your apparent ability to read these manuscripts," Robert added.

"So, who are you guys anyway? Scientists or what?" Akira asked annoyed, "Why are Kai and Rei involved in all this?"

"Kai's company is one of those which are funding this research and Rei, we needed him and Mariah to obtain these manuscripts," Judy said and then looked at Robert, "Robert's father is funding the research too and their family has been guarding a few of those manuscripts. Mariam's tribe has been the guardian of one of those rocks for a really long time and I am the Joint Director of BBA…"

"I know. Isabel told me about you," Akira said, "How do you know each other?"

"We used to be good friends back then," Judy smiled.

"Those rocks… are they really…?"

"We don't know Akira… From what we have found out from the research so far, apart from the extraction of the bit beasts from them, they are keys to something much more powerful too. What is it? That is what we are trying to find out," Judy said.

"Judy," Kai spoke, "How did you know it was Akira?"

"I told you, it is her bit beast," Judy said, "The manuscripts that we obtained from Robert's father, were deciphered, luckily and they mentioned the silver serpent, Serpa. It was very difficult to track it initially… We almost searched for an year, all in vain. When she fought you in the tournament, which was the first time she had used her bit beast officially, we found her!" Judy then turned towards Akira, "Akira, I know this tournament is important for you and for many other bladers. We assure you there wouldn't be any kind of hindrance to it. In fact, that is the reason we are keeping this research a secret. We just need your help and we'll make sure you'll stay protected."

Akira was lost in thought; it was information overload for her! She looked up to ask Judy one final question, "I will help you if you want me to. One last question Dr. Tate, is there any possibility that there are more manuscripts like these?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, there are. And they are going to be with us in a matter of few days," Judy said and walked towards Akira, "So shall I consider this a deal?"

Akira nodded and shook Judy's hand in approval. Kai and Akira were the last ones to leave the room. Rei left with Mariah while Mariam and Robert returned to their respective rooms.

As soon as Akira walked out of the door, Kai waited for a moment and turned towards Judy.

"Is something the matter Kai?" Judy asked raising her eyebrows.

"It is a simple question Judy. Does this have anything to do with a certain serpent that was spotted years ago in an orphanage in Russia?" Kai asked.

"I'm afraid I don't have the slightest idea of whatever you're talking about!" Judy said, "If that is what you wanted to ask, you may leave now."

Kai studied her for a moment and left the room to find Akira waiting for him right outside the room.

"You didn't go back?" Kai asked, a little taken aback by her presence there, "Anything suspicious again?"

"No, I was waiting for you," Akira said, "I have a few doubts for you to clear."

"Can't this wait until tomorrow?" Kai was indeed tired and answering Akira's questions was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Sure," she said and walked towards the elevator. She stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder, "Aren't you coming?"

* * *

**So... how was the chapter? **

**1. Confusing? Well, any confusion would be cleared as the story proceeds!**

**2. Bad and Boring? I'm sure that might the majority case... And I'm sorry for that. Please bare with me and don't give up on it yet. Coz all is not what it seems! I'll tell one thing for sure, this is not a routine romance or just an adventure story. **

**Last but not the least! ****Please leave your reviews****!**


	15. Beginning of an Adventure

**Another installment of The Last Strike! **

**Thanks for the reviews!**

_**silverstaar18:**_** The plot is the biggest challenge for any writer, especially the ones who choose the genre of mystery. I'm glad you liked the chapter! Thanks for the review! **

**_shanaya: _Thanks a lot for the review! Don't worry, the confusion isn't going to last long. I hope you find this chap interesting as well. ;)**

* * *

Hillary kept knocking at the door #3025, until she heard Max opening it.

"What is it?" Max asked, running his fingers through his ruffled hair. #3025 was two bedroom suite comfortable enough for the boys. Kenny who had dozed off in the living room of the suite in a rather awkward manner mumbled, "Who is it Max? Can't we even get some decent sleep?" Kenny was sprawled on the ground one leg on the table and his head falling off the couch he was leaning against. His laptop and other bey blade gear were scattered on the table and all around him on the ground.

Max turned around annoyed, "You might get some decent sleep if you actually get your ass back into the bedroom. And do it before you sprain your neck!" He was irritated by the fact that he had to come and get the door all the way from the bedroom, while Kenny managed to sleep undisturbed in that very uncomfortable posture, right in the living room. He didn't bother to wake Tyson up because it would be plain stupid of him even to think about it. He'd rather answer the door, return to his cozy bed and get back to sleep faster than the time he'd ever take to wake Tyson up. Why all the unnecessary pain?

Kenny finally opened his eyes and rubbed them, "Hillary…?" He tried to get up and in the process, "Argh..! I think I sprained my neck…"

"Told ya…" Max said, "Did you happen to see Rei and Kai?" he asked Hillary.

"They aren't here either?" Hillary asked wide eyed.

"What do you mean?" Max asked.

"Akira… She isn't in the room either," Hillary said, "I got up for some water and she wasn't there. I checked the lobby too. I didn't find anybody there. Although, I thought I heard voices from somewhere in the lobby."

"Voices? Where?" Max asked narrowing his eyes.

"Look I'm not kidding. I did hear them, but I'm not sure from where. So I came up to ask you guys if you've…"

"I get it. Did you bother calling Akira on her phone?"

"Do I look stupid Max?" Hillary said placing her hands on her hips, "Of course I did! The operator said she could not be reached at the moment!"

"Fine, I'll try to call Kai or…" Max was about to step back into the room, when Hillary exclaimed, "There you are! I've been looking all over for you and you were with… Kai?"

Max quickly popped his head out of the room and Hillary narrowed her eyes at the two bladers standing in front of her.

"What's going on?" she asked, followed by Max's, "Wow, that was fast."

"What? I was training," Kai lied. "So was I," Akira took his cue.

"At this hour? Together?" Hillary didn't let go.

"No," Kai said before Akira could answer, "What are _you_ up to?"

"Nothing, I was looking for Akira. I was kinda worried when I couldn't reach her on her phone and…" Hillary was interrupted.

"Why were you worried so much? I'm not a kid… right?" Akira asked, a little displeased with the fact that she might have found herself a potential babysitter for the rest of the Championship. But, she considered the other option too, thanks to Isabel. She might have found herself a good friend!

"I know you're not a kid, but you're…" Hillary put a sudden halt to her sentence. She preferred to keep it incomplete for that might do some serious damage.

Akira sighed, "Delusional?"

"No! Not at all!" Hillary cried out, "I wasn't gonna say that!"

"So I guess you were just looking out for me?" Akira asked shrugging her shoulders.

"Yes. I was," Hillary nodded. "Thanks," Akira said and smiled at Hillary and Hillary returned it. Rei unaware of the present commotion outside his room, walked right into the mess.

"Where have you been?" Max targeted Rei.

"I was with Mariah. Do you mind?" he asked and then turned towards Kai and Akira, "What are you guys doing here? Is something the matter?"

"Oh nothing," Kai decided to play along, "Just having a nice mid night chat."

"It is actually way past mid night," Kenny pointed out, massaging his sprained neck, "Why don't we all get some sleep huh?"

"Well said Chief," Hillary said and beckoned Akira, "Let's go."

* * *

"Garland and his team aren't here?" Hillary asked, upon checking out the final list of competitors for that year's championships.

"Yes, I managed to get in touch with Garland about this. He said that the team had to split because of personal reasons," Kenny said, checking the team's bey blades one final time.

"The team fell apart? That's sad! Weren't they in the final last year?" Hillary said and looked impatiently at Kenny's obsession about the blades, "Kenny, I think you've checked them enough times. Now, cut it out!"

"One thing, they didn't 'fall apart' like you're saying. They have a life other than beyblading. Mystel said he was gonna travel, Crusher has his sister to take care of and don't ask me details about it and Ming-Ming, she's touring this year," Kenny told her what Garland had told him.

"That Ming-Ming is touring? I don't believe people even listen to her music," Hillary said and raised her hand as Kenny opened his mouth to defend the singer, "I know what you'll say Kenny. Why do I even bother?"

Hillary and Kenny were waiting in the lobby of the hotel with the rest of the team minus Tyson, who couldn't seem pry himself away from the breakfast table and Akira, who was still in her room.

"Come to think of it," Rei said, "We're missing really good bladers this time. Too bad."

"But, we've had a good addition of bladers too. Seiran for instance," Max said and sat down beside Kenny. The mention of Seiran's name perked up Rei's interest as the brief moment of encounter between them came back to him. "Kenny, why don't you show them what you showed me this morning?"

"Sure Max. They ought to know!" Kenny turned the laptop towards Rei and Kai who were now frowning at the stats they saw on the screen.

"He defeated Mariah to get into the team? That means Mariah is the fifth member?" Rei asked, unable to believe what he had just seen.

"Looks like a good one," Kai stated and that comment coming from Kai meant Seiran was indeed trouble.

"That means we have our work cut out for us. Whatever it might be Kenny, Daichi should've been here. I bet he's thinking the same, sitting back there in the village," Hillary sighed.

"Miss him so much?" Akira's voice startled Hillary. She didn't dare to turn around for she might have offended the newest member of the team, apparently Daichi's replacement.

"I can understand why, he has been with you guys for a long time, hasn't he?" Akira said waving Hillary's phone in front of her. The tiny smile on Akira's face came as a relief to her, "You left it in the room and Tyson's grandpa called. I hope you don't mind, I answered it."

"Not at all. What did he say?" Hillary asked as the others turned their attention towards Akira.

"A letter from Daichi arrived a little after we left for the airport yesterday. Daichi's Great Aunt is recovering fast and he does miss being here," Akira said.

"Didn't he say she was dying and that is the reason he had to go to the village?" Tyson asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Tyson! That is so cruel of you! You know how important and dear she is to Daichi!" Hillary burst out at Tyson.

"Cut it out Hill, I didn't mean it that way! Even I'm glad she's fine!" Tyson then asked, his gaze directed at Kenny, "When does the event start?"

"Well, introduction of the teams and the exhibition matches would start at around eleven. The bus would be here any minute," Kenny then briefed them with the schedule for that day.

"Tala you've got to consider this again," The Bladebreakers heard a familiar voice nearby.

"Isn't that Julia?" Hillary said referring to a girl involved in a heated argument with a certain red head.

"Tala! What the fuck were you thinking when you registered the team as Blitzkrieg Boys, when there is a girl on the team? How could you forget that!?" Julia cried out in anger.

"Who said anything about forgetting?" Tala said, sounding as if he didn't care.

"Are you trying to piss me off? Then I must tell you it's working. Now, before I do any serious damage, go change the name!"

"It's not possible. We're already registered."

"Why you…" Julia was about to hurl her fist at him when Tala ducked.

"Oh my god," Hillary got up from her place, "We better stop her before it's too late."

"Yeah right," Tyson said sarcastically, "Tala!" Tyson yelled out Tala's name, "Looks like you're having one hell of a time."

"You stay out of this Granger!" Julia snapped at Tyson and Tyson's face paled a bit.

"Julia? How are you?" Hillary rushed towards Julia, jumping to his rescue.

Meanwhile, Rei greeted Tala. Tala nodded at Rei and his former teammate Kai.

"How am I? Elated!" Julia said and turned towards Tala, who was busy being introduced to Akira.

"This is Akira," Kenny said, "Our new member. And this is Tala," he told Akira.

"Akira, huh?" Tala turned towards Kenny, "Is she any good?"

Akira smirked and said, "Good enough to beat you."

Tala only smirked and Max announced the arrival of the bus. Bryan, Ian and Raul had joined them by now.

* * *

The stadium reverberated with the screams of the fans of Beyblading from all over the world, who made it to Hong Kong to not miss the inaugural ceremony of this year's Championship. No wonder they didn't want to miss it. The ceremony was unlike the previous ones, starting off with a laser show. The BBA was making it a very grand affair for this year marked the Silver Jubilee year of The Beyblade Battle Association.

The laser treat showcased how BBA had grown from the small Japan based association into what it was now! The crowd erupted into a huge round of applause when laser figures of the former Bladebreakers team including Daichi appeared, followed by all the beybladers who were involved in bringing down BEGA. No one could forget or deny, how many times Tyson and the rest of the team had saved the world from destruction, literally.

"Wow, you're some kind of heroes here, aren't you?" Akira nudged Tyson, who stood beside her overwhelmed by the huge applause they were receiving from the crowd. "You bet, we're!" Tyson said. "That wasn't easy, was it? Going against BEGA," Akira asked. "No, Kai almost lost Dranzer. But, it was all worth it! We did it to protect what we loved the most, the sport and spirit of beyblading!"

"Tyson," Akira said pulling Tyson closer to her, by his shirt sleeve, as the cheering by the crowd was deafening, "I'm really glad to be a part of this team!"

Tyson, who was mildly surprised by what Akira had just said, smiled at her in return. This exchange however didn't go unnoticed by two people, Kai and Hillary. Neither of them could hear what they were talking about, but they could certainly see them smiling at each other. Kai couldn't care less, while Hillary's heart sank. She balled her fists not in anger, but in dismay and helplessness.

"You seem to be a better mood today," Max intervened.

Akira looked at the blonde standing right next to her, a tiny smile on his lips. She shrugged and smiled back at him.

All the teams were asked to get onto their respective platforms. The laser show ended with a huge round of applause from the audience and DJ Jazzman introducing the teams. With two more teams to go for the introduction to end, the platform with The Blitzkrieg Boys and the F-Dynasty began to rise.

"The next team is deadly combination of the defending World Champions the Blitzkrieg Boys and the European sensation F-Dynasty!" Julia was quite relieved that the DJ hadn't called the entire team as Blitzkrieg Boys and has saved her from a possible humiliation. She was concerned about the introduction and now she decided not to care about the team's name as they were more important things to worry about. Julia and Raul waved at the crowd while the Russians stood there unaffected.

"Will Tala and his new team be able to defend the Title or will our next team win it all? They do have a reputation for it! Here they are, the Bladebreakers!"

No need for a mention of what happened next for Akira winced at the deafening screams and cheering of the beyblade fandom present in the stadium.

"You'll get used to it," Rei said to her and Akira nodded. All the excitement she had until then suddenly transformed into uneasiness.

Once the inaugural ceremony came to an end a small break was announced before the exhibition matches started.

"Be right back folks! After this break you'll be witnessing an action packed preview of what this Championship would be offering. Three exhibition matches, the first one being a two on two match between the Blitzkrieg Boys and the Bladebreakers. "Looks like the first match would be worth watching," Lee said appearing beside Rei.

"Oh yes it would be," Rei said, "That announcement was unexpected though."

"The BBA sure is doing crazy experiments this time," Kenny joined them, "They are going to announce the format of the match before hand, only about half an hour. We really have to be prepared for any format, which is quite the challenge."

"It is not that much of a problem. All we have to do is blade well and have some spontaneity. That would actually test the all-round ability of the player," Lee pointed out, "BBA wants to test that this time."

"You're absolutely right Lee," Emily said, "Oh hey Kenny!"

Kenny jumped out of her way, "Don't ever do that again! Sneaking in on people!" Not just Kenny, both Lee and Rei were taken aback when Emily suddenly barged in on them. They couldn't deny that Emily did change a little. Her orange hair was now shoulder length and her spectacles were now rectangular frame-less ones unlike those she always wore.

"Sorry," Emily flashed them a cheerful smile, "The bey dishes are more sophisticated this time. In fact, I've heard there are going to be unlike anything we've used until now."

"Really?" Kenny wondered, "I should get back to our locker room. We've got a match to prepare for."

"It's just an exhibition match Kenny!" Emily said, "Chill!"

"That doesn't mean we can take it easy. Umm… I actually have something else on my mind," Kenny said and left.

"Guys? Have you seen Seiran anywhere?" Mariah seemed to be searching for the flaxen haired blader for quite some time.

"Oh… hey Emily!" Mariah greeted the tennis star with a smile. She then walked towards her boyfriend and hooked her arm into his, "Want to help me find him, Rei?"

Rei could read between the lines and with grin on his face, "Sure! See you guys later!"

Kenny spun around realizing that Rei wasn't following him, "Rei! We have a match, remember?"

Mariah answered Kenny's question instead of Rei, "Seriously Kenny? That is an exhibition match! Anyways, he'll be back in no time. Okay?"

"Mariah," Rei tried to calm her down, "There is no need for getting mad." He then looked apologetically at Kenny, "I'll be back Chief! You just go ahead!"

"I'm sorry Kenny! I didn't mean to..." Mariah apologized too, feeling stupid for loosing her cool.

"It's okay," Kenny shrugged and walked away.

Emily rolled her eyes at the couple, "I better get going too." Emily strode quickly towards Kenny and joined him, "You aren't that wise, are you? You almost got yourself killed back there."

Kenny gave her a dry smile, but didn't say a word in return. "Kenny…?" Emily said.

"Yes?" Kenny asked, while the hesitation in her voice didn't go unnoticed.

"I was wondering if…" Emily started fidgeting which was so not her. She looked at the nineteen year old computer geek standing in front of her almost three inches taller than her, which made her, for a moment, wonder if he was the same short boy she had met five years back. They had been in contact through mails all along and their friendship had grown ever since.

"Emily!" Mariam's voice snapped her out of her trance and she realized that she'd been staring at Kenny.

"You were saying something?" Kenny asked expectantly.

"Nothing," Emily shook her head, "Gotta go Kenny. See you later!"

Kenny cursed his uneventful life, again, before he headed to their locker room.

* * *

**_Locker Room, Bladebreakers._**

"I know this is just an exhibition match, but we've gotta win this and show them who's the boss," Tyson said getting all excited.

"Max and Tyson, how about you guys take this match? I'm sure they'd be sending in Raul and Julia," Kenny said.

"That'd be good," Rei said stepping into the room.

Kenny acknowledged his presence by nodding at him and said, "We, then have a one on one sudden death match between The White Tigers and The Majestics, the last one is not announced yet."

The team exited the room as the announcement for the exhibition matches boomed through the speakers. The team walked ahead with Kai a little behind and Akira further away.

Something made Kai turn around; he saw Akira take a detour and walk away towards her left. Kai, making sure that no one saw him slip away, picked up pace and spotted Akira exiting the stadium through the back door.

_I feel a dark and powerful presence here, _Dranzer warned him, B_e careful!_

Kai frowned as he saw her walking absent minded towards the main road. He followed her carefully, staying close to her. _She is being controlled, _Dranzer said, _That dark presence, it is emanating from her._

_Are you sure?_ Kai asked.

_Yes, _Dranzer confirmed.

Kai was in a dilemma whether to stop her or to continue following her. He decided to push his luck and settled for the latter. They were about ten minutes away from the stadium, when Akira stepped into a secluded grave yard.

Kai swore as he saw Akira kneel down in front of a huge banyan tree. He hid behind a grave stone and contemplated his plan of action, only there was none. Akira clutched her hand in pain and a moan escaped her lips. That was when Kai ditched hiding and darted towards her. He spun her around and what he saw blew his mind off. Her lilac eyes were now jet black, lifeless.

He shook her by her shoulders and she gasped. In a split second, the eerie aura around her vanished and her eyes returned to normal. She pushed Kai away and tried to get up. Her knees buckled under her and she fell to the ground.

"Where… where…" she mumbled, "am I?"

"Are you alright?" Kai asked, genuinely worried.

When Akira didn't answer, he looked around to see if he could find anyone or anything suspicious.

_It is gone, _Dranzer told him.

Akira gasped and clutched her left hand again. Kai grabbed her hand, to feel the red liquid dripping from the cut across her palm. It was blood!

Kai gaped at the wound in horror and then at Akira, who was equally stunned.

"What happened Kai?" she pleaded, "Did I do something? Did I hurt you?"

As the panic in her voice began to rise, Kai helped her up, "Let's get out of here!"

* * *

**I really hope the chapter was good enough!**

**Please leave your reviews! :)**


	16. Trust Issues

**I'm so sorry guys for not updating for a whole month! I've been busy with academics and college projects for a while now! I'm extremely sorry! Plus, I have been unwell lately.**

**This is a small chapter, just a preview, and to tell you guys that I'm not abandoning this story!**

**I hope you keep encouraging me! And like my work!**

**Thanks a ton for the reviews!**

**_IslaLyn.B:_**** Thanks for the review. That detective has indeed opened up her past and at the same opened up a new phase in her life.. How? That is what you'll be knowing later on in the story. ;) I'm glad I could capture your interest! :)**

**_silverstaar18_****: Hillary and Tyson... :) I know! That is a part I'd be developing very carefully.. :) I'm glad you're enjoying the little parts about the different couples in the story! Thanks for the review!**

**_SMRA_****:Thanks a lot for the review! I hope you'll enjoy the rest of it too!**

**_shanaya_****: Your review always brightens me up! Thanks for the review! :) You'd sure be getting more of Tala and Julia.. ;)**

* * *

"Kai… wait…" her pleas went unheard and Kai continued to drag her out of the grave yard, "Kai… you've gotta tell me what's going on."

Akira's eyes wandered around in the yard, trying to figure out what was happening, "Kai stop!" she screamed, "You're scaring me!"

Kai stopped and turned around, "You want to know what happened?" He looked furious, "You walk out of the stadium, cross a road with heavy traffic, enter a graveyard and kneel down in front a banyan tree. As if that isn't enough, you have this cut, out of freaking nowhere and you don't have the slightest idea what happened."

That was the first time Akira had seen him so angry. And a furious Kai wasn't a pleasant sight.

"We're talking to the police Akira. No you're talking to the police, right now!" Kai decided for her and there would be no going back on that.

Akira stood there aghast, as her mind tried to comprehend what Kai had just said.

"No. I won't," Akira said closing her eyes. She had suddenly regained her calm and balled her fist as blood dripped from it.

Kai's serious demeanor returned to him, "Why?"

"Don't act innocent Kai. You know the answers for what's happening… right?" Akira said looking him in the eye. It was as if she knew for sure, one hundred percent sure that Kai had all the answers. Yet, he was playing innocent, ignorant.

"Bullshit!"

"Really? So you don't? Then, does Judy know? She seems to know a lot about me. Let's go to her!" Akira said firmly, "The Police would only complicate matters. Send me out of here. Pull me out of this tournament in the name of protecting me. I wouldn't let that happen!"

"You're willing to risk your life for this tournament?" Kai asked.

Akira inhaled deeply, "Yes."

Kai closed his eyes, shook his head and walked away.

Akira followed him without another word, for she already knew where they were heading to.

* * *

**_The stadium_**

"Where are they?" Hillary squealed in anger, staring at the laptop screen in front of her.

"Hillary!" Kenny burst out, "Will stop yelling into my ears? Just calm down, will ya?"

"Fine. But, what in the world is going on with them?" Hillary said, "First they hate each other, then they disappear together…"

"Oh come on Hill, you're not that dense, are you?" Tyson butted in, "You still don't get it?"

Hillary's eyes widened as she understood his implication and she burst out laughing, "You've got to be kidding me! Kai and Akira? No way! I mean Akira? Seriously?"

"And what do you mean by that?" Akira stepped into their locker room only to overhear the last two sentences Hillary said.

"Where have you been to?" Hillary exploded, "You totally skipped the matches!"

"You were saying something just now," Akira looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh that? Nothing… I meant you've just entered the team and then you and Kai going out…" Hillary tried to explain.

"What?" Akira snapped, "Going out? What the fuck?"

"See I told you… they're not!" Hillary pointed out to the guys. She then narrowed her eyes at Akira, "Which brings me to the question," she then turned towards Kai, "where were you?"

"Oh… that…?" Akira glanced in Kai's direction, "I… um… had to go to the hotel, to fetch something."

"And that was?"

Akira pulled out a brand new launcher, "Was a gift from Dad. I left it at the hotel and brought my old one along. I suddenly remembered and decided to use it in the match today. We've the first one in the afternoon, don't we?" Akira directed her question at Kenny.

"Yeah, we do. But, how did you know? It wasn't announced then, was it?" Kenny was confused.

"No. But the schedule charts were sent to the locker rooms," Akira walked towards the desk and lifted the paper up, "Here, I noticed it before we left for the exhibition match."

"It was there since then?" Rei asked, "How come we didn't know?"

Akira shrugged, "Kai thought I was up to something when I snuck out and followed me. So much for being a team mate," Akira smirked, "A lot of trust out there."

Kai smirked in return. It was clever of her to build up the story about the launcher. Akira was already carrying it with her, contrary to what she was claiming. Since they did go to the hotel from the graveyard, no one would suspect a thing. Her alibi would be proved true.

"Now, now… you should've told us," Max said smiling at Akira, "Next time, make sure you do."

"Fine," Akira said and settled down on the bench beside Tyson, "Kenny, I want to fight in today's match."

"That's my call," Kai said.

Akira glared at him while Kenny said, "It is with The Majestics. Too early in the tournament. It is going to be a five on five match, Kai. So everybody has to play."

"Perfect!" Akira clapped, "Put me up against Johnny!"

"You don't listen, do you? It is my call… who fights against who? You're fighting Miguel. Kenny, you know what the other combinations will be," Kai said and leaned against the wall.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. They could sense the brewing of a fight even before the actual one with the Majestics.

Akira shot up from her place, "I know you're the captain and all. But stop acting all mighty. I'm going to fight against Johnny. I have a score to settle! I will have to defeat him!"

"And it's probability is zero. So, it's settled…" Kai started to step away, when Akira jumped in front of him, blocking his way with her left hand.

That was when the team, except Hillary, noticed a band aid on her left palm. But, no one inquired about it.

"You can't do this to me. That guy insulted me in front of all those people back then. And I'm going to teach him a lesson today, in front of all these people!" Kai could see the fire in her eyes. That will to defeat Johnny. Her anger burned through her eyes, which made him wonder what Johnny would have said to make her so angry.

"Kai, let her do it," Tyson said, "I know she will win it."

"Yeah," Rei said, "Let her do it."

"You're going to regret this later," Kai said heading for the door, "Do as you please."

"You won't regret it," Akira said facing her team, "I will make him eat his words."

Hillary smiled at the girl standing in front of her and the passion in her eyes. _Perhaps she was meant to be in this team,_ she thought, _she is so much like them, when it comes to beyblading._

* * *

**I know it is a really small chapter! Would be updating more real soon.**

**Do leave your review! :)**


	17. Transformation:From a Rookie into a Pro!

**Here's the next chapter! Thanks a lot for your reviews! You guys just made my day! Thank you. :D**

**Read on!**

* * *

**_Outside the stadium_**

"We'll have to stop them Elder Seiyo," Ozuma said as he turned to look at their clan's chief. "We will," the calmness in the Chief's voice was a reassurance to Ozuma. The two of them moved towards the stadium to meet the woman who managed to convince one of them, Mariam, to betray them. It was unforgivable. _It was a sore mistake, _the chief thought, _Bringing the stone out of its sacred abode and experimenting upon it would only bring upon a disaster. _"Let's wait until the end of the day. I want to see what kind of a man Mariam has chosen, see his potential," the Chief said aloud.

"But Elder..." Ozuma began to protest. "You have no need to instruct me Ozuma," the Chief cut him short. "I apologize," Ozuma said, as his fists balled in anger.

* * *

**_Bladebreakers vs. The Majestics_**

The crowd in the stadium burst out into an applause when the Bladebreakers entered the arena. The Majestics made an equally grand entry dressed in their armours, like the knights they were. The battle line up was displayed on the screen. Much to Kai's displeasure he was up against Miguel, the last in the line up. Akira, as per her wish was fighting Johnny. Rei vs. Enrique being the first, the two bladers proceeded towards the battle dish that was yet to be revealed.

Hillary sat down beside Kenny who was ready with Dizzy to do what he always does. "Kick some ass Rei!" Tyson was more hyper than ever considering that he had missed blading in the tournament the previous year. In fact, everyone on the team, excluding Kai and Akira, were pretty excited. Kai was just being his usual self.

Akira, the newbie of the group, stood distracted as the captain's previously said words reverberated in her mind. _You are going to regret it,_ he had said. Somebody had said that to her once before and that somebody was standing with his team, probably considering her the same _wannabe_ _rookie _that he had called her. The rookie that he had mocked upon her defeat had come a long way now. But somehow Kai's words left her unsettled. She wanted to prove the phoenix wrong as much as she wanted to prove a certain gladiator wrong.

The violent clashing of the blades in the beydish grabbed her attention. She moved towards the dish noting the progress of the battle. It looked as if Enrique's two headed beast had an upper hand over Drigger, but the white tiger's claws were sharp enough to end the battle. "We WON!" Hillary's scream made her wince.

Next up was Max vs. Oliver, whose result was an unfortunate tie. "Only if my blade landed at the right angle! Fuck!" Max swore in frustration. Oliver was equally displeased with result. "It's alright Maxie," Tyson put a hand on his shoulder. "It is not Tyson. I should've won that match!" A fifteen minute break was announced before the rest of the matches started.

"I bet she's still just a piece of cake," Johnny said, his hands folded and a smirk on his face. "You don't learn, do you?" he heard Robert say, "You made the same mistake that day Johnny, mocked her in front of the crowd. When will you learn to respect your opponents?" "What I told her that day was the truth!" Johnny retorted, "Her tie with Oliver was a lucky shot. He went easy on her."

"That is precisely what I did. And I paid the price. I assumed her to be a rookie and went easy on her. If she was so weak I should have won despite going easy. But I didn't. She was strong then and I bet she is even stronger now. So stop being so cocky and take this seriously!" Oliver didn't wait for Johnny's response and sat on the bench, his hands crossed and eyes closed. Johnny glared at him for a moment and headed towards the beydish.

"All the best, Akira. You can do it," Hillary patted Akira on her back startling her. "Oh...yeah... Thanks." She smiled at Hillary and turned around to look at the rest of the team. "You know what to do, right?" Tyson smiled at her. Akira nodded at them and walked towards the dish, giving a final glance in Kai's direction. He sat there on the bench, his eyes closed.

"I hope you give me some decent competition this time," Johnny said to her, as the beydish began to reveal itself. Akira said nothing but smirked. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She focused on one thing, victory.

Meanwhile, Max's eyes wandered off into the stands. Elder Seiyo had his gaze fixed on him, his thoughts not reflecting in his face. However, he could see Ozuma's anger in his eyes. He stole the girl Ozuma loved, Mariam. That would be a valid reason. But, he also knew that Ozuma would never try to force Mariam against her will. So, what must be the reason behind stopping Mariam from leaving the village and their sudden presence here? He shifted his attention back to the match.

Akira pulled out her launcher and held it in the left hand while the rip cord was in her right. "She is using her left hand?" Kenny wondered out loud. Kai upon hearing it opened his eyes. _Left hand,_ he wondered, _what is she up to now?_ _But, her left hand... It is hurt, will she be able to launch the blade properly?_

The beydish turned out to be huge replica of the Colosseum(Coliseum), built right below their feet. The platforms that they stood on, extended into the dish at a height. She inserted the rip cord into the launcher and held it at a slightly different angle. The countdown began.

"3... 2... 1... Let it rip!"

Johnny launched his blade right away, but Akira delayed her launch by a second or two, instantaneously changing the angle of her launch. No sooner had Johnny's blade hit the ground(dish) than Akira's blade ripped through it with god like speed, hurling it into a pile of rocks, that vapourised into dust immediately.

"That launcher is no normal one," Kenny said, "It optimizes the blade speed like no other and Akira got even better results by letting Johnny launch first and then adjusting her launch angle in a split second. That is not normal blading, you know." "How did she manage to do it?" Hillary asked perplexed.

"By studying Johnny's battles. She asked me if I could give her any footage of Johnny's battles," Kenny explained, "Not just his, but all the opponents we might face."

"There are some characteristics of a blader that remain fairly the same," Kai spoke for the first time, "Like the blader's launching style and his special attacks. Considering that Johnny had a special way of launching his blade, it became even easier to analyse it. She used that to her advantage and modified her style, to give her optimum speed and attack force."

"We underestimated her quite a little bit, didn't we?" Rei said, impressed.

"I never doubted her skills as a blader," Tyson said, "She used to practice late into the night, alone, trying to master defense and improve her offense."

"Then I guess she has a few more tricks up her sleeve," Max added.

Johnny who was taken aback by her speed and power, took a step back, horror replacing his smirk. But he made a quick comeback. However, the damage had been done. His blade wobbled and seemed to lose speed. Johnny frowned at the girl standing in front of him unaffected by the upper hand she had just gained. Her face was devoid of any expression, which made it impossible for him to read her.

Johnny decided to speed up the process by calling his bit beast out. Salamalyon, upon receiving his master's orders took shape in front of Akira. The blade steadied too. He began attacking Akira's blade continuously without giving her time to even defend herself. She winced and tried to retreat. Fortunately she found an opening and utilized it to summon Serpa.

The sight of the vicious serpent in its full size, with its hood spread out and its echoing hissing, silenced the audience for a moment. Hillary suddenly felt nauseous. "I don't know about you guys but the sight of that serpent certainly disgusts me." The Bladebreakers were too preoccupied with the match to comment.

"Attack... Salamalyon!" Johnny commanded and the crowd began cheering again. The Salamander spit its vicious flames at Serpa when Akira took a defensive stance, "Serpa! Shield of Darkness!" The next instant a dark energy emanated from Serpa, her hood becoming a shield. The energy engulfed Serpa, thus destroying Salamalyon's flames, as soon as they came into contact with it.

"What the hell!" Johnny was shocked to see one of his most powerful attacks being defeated by a rookie... No, she was not! Oliver was right!

"She mastered the defense technique!" Max exclaimed. "No doubt she was so confident about this match," Rei said.

"Serpa! Paralyse!" Poisonous vapour shot out at the Salamander, in an attempt to paralyse it. "Not so easy," Johnny said and Salamalyon darted at Serpa and the two of them knocked into the wall under Akira's platform. The impact knocked her balance off and she fell to her side, slipping off the platform.

"Oh my God! She is going to fall..." Hillary gasped. Tyson and Max stepped forward, worried. But, Akira held onto the platform with her left hand, which by now, had started bleeding. She managed to climb back up, only to realize that Serpa was being held in a tight grip by Salamalyon, using its claws, much to her horror. "Serpa!" she screamed, and looked at Johnny with disgust. "Serpa, strangle!" The huge serpent wrapped its tail around the Salamander's torso and began to tighten the grip. Salamalyon's cry pierced Johnny's ears, "Salamalyon! Retreat!"

"Told you, we mustn't underestimate her," Oliver said. "Guys, do you think it's over for him? Or is it just me?" Enrique asked.

"Serpa! Finish him off! Viper Sting!" Poisonous needles stung the bit beast everywhere making it disappear back into its blade. "Salamalyon!" And it was over. Johnny fell to his knees and slammed his fist onto the platform, "How could I have lost?"

"Oh yeah! You showed him who's the boss!" Hillary cried in joy. Kai simply closed his eyes while a tiny smile appeared on his lips.

Johnny was expecting Akira to mock him now and avenge her insult, but she only retrieved her blade and walked back to her team. The crowd applauded her all along.

Hillary who couldn't contain her excitement, almost hugged Akira, when she was stopped by her. Hillary was startled as her excitement drained. Akira took her by surprise, when she showed her left palm soaked in blood and smiled, "I'm going to stain your dress. If that's not a problem then go ahead," and winked at her. Hillary smiled back at her and then took her left palm into hers. The smile on Akira's face cheered the others too. It was like she was slowly becoming a part of the team, a friend.

"How did this happen?" Rei asked, "You must have hurt yourself when you disappeared today. That certainly wasn't there in the morning."

"Yeah," Kenny said, "That is one nasty cut."

"Oh it wasn't when I got it," she said, as Kai wondered how she would explain that, "I hurt myself at they hotel while trying out the new launcher. It is more powerful than it appears, quite different from my old one."

"Of course it would be. It is a limited addition launcher and a very costly one too. Your dad definitely gave you one of the best launchers available in the market," Kenny explained, "He does know a little about about blading, I guess."

"A little?" Akira said, "Shiro was one of the best bladers during his time. It's time for your match Tyson," she said, "Go ahead."

The last two of The Majestics didn't go down without a tough fight. Tyson's blade was all battered after his fight with Robert and Kai had to accept that Miguel had become much, much stronger than ever.

The Bladebreakers thus won their first match of the tournament 4-0 and a tie, proving that the break they had taken did them no damage!

* * *

**_5:00 PM_**

As the Bladebreakers walked back to their locker room, a familiar voice stopped them, "Hillary!"

Hillary turned around to see Julia walking towards them, "Hey!"

"That was a good battle," she said to Akira, "We haven't met, have we? It's Julia."

Akira nodded, "Akira."

"Looks like you've found yourself a strong blader," she said to Tyson. "You bet, we did," he said.

"Hillary, I was planning on going out for dinner, so…" Julia asked.

"Sure! That'd be great!" Hillary said.

"Why don't you join us too?" Julia turned towards Akira.

"You are asking me?" Akira didn't expect an invite.

"Yes. Hillary says you don't go out much," Julia gave her a half smile, "You should come."

Akira shot Hillary a glare and Hillary smiled sheepishly in return.

"Sure."

"That's great!" Hillary said, "Let's celebrate your win!"

Julia smiled and then turned towards Max, "Umm.. Max? I saw Ozuma come this way with an older man. I thought I must tell you."

"To meet me…" Max said, "I knew he's going to come. Thanks."

"Fine. I guess that's it then. See you in the lobby at seven," Julia waved at them and left.

"Ozuma of the saint shields?" Akira inquired.

"Yes," Max answered, "Guys, you go ahead. I'll be back."

"You sure?" Tyson asked, a little worried for his friend.

Kai and Rei were worried too. Not about Max but about the possibility of Ozuma mentioning about the rock to Max. Rei looked at Kai and nodded. They'll have to inform Judy right away.

* * *

**In this chapter I've concentrated on only Akira's match because I wanted demonstrate her skill level. In the coming up chapters wherever required I'll include bey battles of other bladers too! **

**Will Max know about the rock? What will happen then?**

**There is an important plot twist coming up in the next chapter! So stay tuned!**

**And most important of all! Please REVIEW!**


	18. Traitors Everywhere!

**Another chapter's out! Sorry for the delay! I had my midterm exams! :p**

**Anyways, now about the chapter: I put in the plot twist in a very subtle manner( I think so) without direct references. I tried my best to give you guys a long chapter! I hope you enjoy this one too...!**

**And Thanks a lot for all those reviews! Love you guys! :D**

**Another important announcement: I'll be updating the story once a week from now on. So the next update would be on ****07-09-2013**** that is next Saturday. It will allow me to give longer chapters and also improve the quality of my work! **

**Well, there can be an exception as well this time, for the next chapter is almost ready and I might post it next Wednesday! Check out my Profile for the updates!**

**Thank You! :D**

* * *

**_Tokyo_**

"She is resisting," the man in the white coat said. One hand in his coat pocket and the other clutching a stack of brown sheets, he looked wearily at the stubborn man standing in front of him, "We must destroy her beast first! How many times do I have to tell you this?" He slammed the sheets on the table beside and him. He lit his cigarette, frustrated with his friend, his "boss". He let out a puff of smoke, as his anger subdued a little, "Look Mark, I know we need her on their team as of now, so at least until this championship reaches Russia, stop with these futile attempts."

"Do you think I don't know, Yuri? I was only making sure. She still fears that vicious creature. Reacts to its very presence," Mark said, his accent distinctly Russian, "It only makes me wonder; how can she be the one?"

"Well, the successful possession eleven years ago proves it. All the goddamn tests we performed on her in the asylum prove it!" he sighed, "We've waited a long time, we must wait a bit more if we have to. A grave mistake has already been made. Karl's murder was an unexpected screw up. There was no need to kill him, to begin with. Now, that has diverted unnecessary attention towards the girl."

"I don't entertain traitors and you know that very well," Mark, a man in his late forties, put an end to the tiresome doctor's incessant complaints, "You are worrying too much. After knowing me and working with me for all these years, you still haven't grasped my methods, have you?"

"Quite the contrary, my friend. I'm warning you for I know your methods. First you messed up with her mother and now again you've chosen to give her freedom, a chance to live a normal life outside the asylum, away from you," Yuri said, as he stubbed out the cigarette, "Not away from your shadows though."

"I had no reason to bind her, nor any affection to take her in," he said, and he meant it, "She is out there to draw that one person out of hiding, the reason we cannot control her anymore. The one who entrusted her to the holy serpent, Serpa. We have been quite successful in that. She was spotted in India, but seems to have escaped again. She has found her allies, which is for sure. She is desperately trying to protect the diary but that won't be for long. She has made a mistake by trying to protect Akira once and she is going to pay for it."

"You sound too confident about that. All I'd say is don't underestimate her. Anyways, we have some information about the third rock. Not the exact location, that would be expecting too much," Yuri said spreading out the sheets on the table. The two men bent over them, Yuri's finger tracing a thick black line on what seemed like a map. A hand drawn map, belonging to an era long gone.

"Recognise this place?" Yuri pointed at symbols, mountains.

"Wait a minute," Mark frowned, "The Himalayas!?" Surprise, evident in his voice, he pulled out a report from a few days back.

He turned a few pages, "Granger had been there, about a month ago, with a group of students, a guide and a few other tourists."

"Definitely not a harmless trek," the doctor smirked, "That archaeologist's visit to the mountains, that woman being spotted in India... might not be a mere coincidence after all. I have got to get back to the lab. We've just managed to decode the inscriptions that were copied and saved by us before the second rock was taken. A small part mentioned the Himalayas. Not quite sure if it was the location of the third rock or a way to locate the third rock. Lesath has definitely made our work real easy. You sure found the right man for the job, all the way from the sands of the middle east!" Yuri snickered, "His ways are funny, however."

"That is how he likes to keep it," Mark smirked, "You wouldn't wanna see the other side of him."

"No intentions of that sort," Yuri shook his head, "Too busy to mess with anyone. And… what about the other girl… What was her name? Yeah, Mariam. What do you want to do about her?"

"Like you said, there's no point in doing anything now," Mark said, "Let her be. Yuri, I'll be leaving for Russia tomorrow," Mark informed his friend as he turned to leave.

"So you're finally gonna meet him and decide what to do with his grandson? He seems like a potential threat," Yuri said, "And while you are at it, I want you to warn that fool, Werner! Ask him to keep that drug of his, out of the streets for now. The three kids who were sent for the tournament are still suffering from its side effects. And that girl, among them, whom Werner drugged, is dead! I want a sample of that thing tested. He is going to get us into trouble for sure, just the way he messed up with Karl!" Yuri sounded quite furious. They had carefully covered their tracks up until now and he didn't want any trouble because of a dimwit.

"I already did. He won't be using his will or that drug for a while now," Mark assured him.

* * *

**_Hong Kong_**

"What!?" Mariam jumped, when she heard Emily tell her about Ozuma and the Elder's visit.

She hurried out, in an attempt to stop them from meeting Max. She hadn't told Max about the rock or the experiments she was a part of. The real reason behind joining Judy's team. She was planning on telling him a little later, that is, when she could finally gather her courage to tell him that she had indeed betrayed her clan, and also him.

Well, it wasn't betrayal exactly. She wasn't allowed to talk about it. In short she had to blame Ozuma and the Elders for her escape. But, now? They would accuse Max, for trapping her, using her as a tool to get the rock and her. She had the ability to read those ancient scriptures, like Akira, unlock keys others couldn't. She did what was needed at the moment, protecting the rock, her people. She didn't mind being called a traitor, if it was for a greater good. She came across Judy on her way there, her forehead creased in worry.

As they approached the Bladerbreakers' locker room, they heard a loud thud and the door shook. Mariam paled at the mere thought of a fight between Max and Ozuma. Her steps quickened and she banged at their door.

The few seconds she had waited for felt like ages. She barged in to find Ozuma wiping blood off his mouth. A split lip, she observed.

"Another word about my mother," Max glowered at the guy kneeling in front of him, "You're dead."

"Max!" Judy gasped in horror, "Elder Seijo?"

There was no sign of the Bladebreakers, who decided to give them privacy. Elder Seijo closed the door and sighed, "You must have control on your senses Ozuma," he turned towards Max, "I apologise on his behalf, young man. Your mother would not be spoken ill of. I'll see to it. Ozuma regrets his outburst, that he does!"

Ozuma got to his feet and turned towards the traitor and Mariam flinched, "You turned out be real smart. Warned him to play innocent! How come I never saw these shades of yours? Or was it their company that made you this double crossing…"

"Ozuma!" Elder Seijo's voice thundered and he froze, "Do not speak another word!"

"I…" Ozuma's tongue ceased to function, when he heard his Chief repeat his command.

"As you wish," Ozuma's respect for their Chief made him bow his head, while his blood still boiled.

"Max I can explain…" was all Mariam could manage.

"Max, it's not her fault," Judy intervened, shielding Mariam.

"No Mom, let her speak."

"Explain," he said to Mariam, his eyes boring into hers, looking for answers.

He wasn't angry. No, he was not. He was only disappointed. He directed his gaze towards the old man standing in front of them, his recent anger forgotten.

"Please sit down," Max said to him, "Mom, you too."

Judy looked at her son, anxiously, for he seemed too calm. It was like the silence before the storm.

Elder Seijo sat on the bench further away from them. Max remained standing.

Mariam addressed her Chief first, "All I'm trying to do is protect the rock. I want you to understand that."

Max knew it wasn't his turn yet and let Mariam continue, despite failing to understand what she had meant.

"It was always protected," Elder Seijo said.

"No! Not anymore. There are people hunting for it; dangerous people, who can destroy our village to get a hold of it. Trust me. I left the village with the scriptures, only to protect my people from an impending danger!" Mariam was pleading now. Her eyes were wet, as tears welled up in them. She fell to her knees, and looked into the Elder's eyes, "You gave this orphan a life. Brought me up, trained me and gave me a reason to live. Everyone in that village is family to me. Ozuma, he has been my friend, a close friend all my life," saying so, she cast an apologetic glance at her childhood mate, who didn't bother to look at her, her eyes betraying all the pain she was trying to hide, "Just because I love somebody else, it would never be a reason for me to betray someone who is more than precious to me. Do you think I am that shallow?"

The Elder put a caring hand on her head, "I never said that, my dear. But your method was wrong. We had the right to be informed about this. There was no need for you to take it up as your sole responsibility. Do you consider us unreliable? Weak?"

"Not once. I knew I would have you by my side. It was the others. They would never agree, right? So, I just fled from there. I had no choice," Mariam said, her eyes cast down.

"She is telling the truth Elder Seijo. With all due respect, we never meant any harm. I hope you have received the letter…?" Judy waited for his response.

"Yes, we have received it. And we are grateful for the assistance you are offering."

Ozuma frowned, he hadn't heard of any letter. Elder Seijo continued, "It has been accepted. In fact that is the reason I'm here today. Despite accepting your proposal, we strongly feel that experimenting on the rock is certainly not a way to protect it. Do you realize that by exposing Mariam's ability to the world, you are putting her in grave danger?"

Max's eyes widened in shock. _Ability? Danger?_

"Mom what's going on? The truth!" Max has had enough and now he needed direct answers.

"You haven't told your son too?" Elder Seijo asked, surprised.

"I haven't. Mariam is safe. That is what I'm trying to explain. There are only a handful of people who know about this whole experiment and they _can be trusted_!" Judy stressed on the last part, "Max, we are going to talk about this later. Please."

Though he received no explanation, Max was beginning to understand now. The sacred rock was being pursued again, hunted, like Mariam said. The word "dangerous" echoed in his ears. _Who is it now?_

If they were powerful enough to destroy a village, then wasn't his mother, the head scientist in this project, he was quite sure she was, in danger too? And Mariam? What kind of ability are they talking about?

"I apologize for not approaching you directly, but… the other Elders seem to despise my efforts…" Judy was interrupted. "There is no place for despise," the Elder shook his head, "You wouldn't understand. You have your mind set upon this strange 'experiment'. But, if there are more dangerous people looking for the three rocks, then we will cooperate. To protect the sacred rock is our duty, passed onto us by our ancestors. And we will protect it until death."

Ozuma couldn't believe his ears. He felt betrayed by the ones he trusted the most, "Nothing good is going to come out of it!" He gritted his teeth in fury and slammed the door behind him, as he left the suffocating presence of those he considered traitors.

"Young blood. He knows nothing of the present situation," Elder Seijo said, "Forgive him."

"I understand," Judy stood up and bowed, "I hope to discuss more about the issue, but not here."

"Sure. Mariam, go fetch Ozuma," Elder Seijo said.

"And meet us at Mr. Dickenson's office on the second floor," Judy instructed a visibly shaken Mariam, "Max, come with us."

* * *

The arrival of Elder Seijo was interpreted in different ways by different members of the team. Those ignorant of BBA's experiment assumed that the reason was probably Mariam leaving the Saint Shields and joining the All Stars. Kai and Rei were unsure of what the situation might turn out to be, what extent of the "secret" would be revealed to Max. Kai made sure Judy was informed about the unexpected visit.

Akira, who didn't have complete knowledge of what ensued between the tribesmen and the couple, chose to ignore it. Why worry about something that doesn't pertain to her? She already had enough things to worry about and someone had to answer all her questions. She had been warned of this day once before, when those words didn't make sense. But now that they started to make sense, her quest had found yet another reason. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, her head bent down, resting on the cafeteria table. Kai sat with his eyes closed, appeared to be brooding over a critical issue, she didn't have the slightest idea of.

The silence at the table was beginning to get irksome.

"Hey guys, look," Hillary broke the silence, pointing out at the cause of all the tension around them. Ozuma walked into cafeteria looking pissed off, which was evident by the way he kicked a chair out of his way. He sat a few tables away, his split lip now visible to them.

"Max did that?" Hillary's eyes widened, "Wonder what he did for Max to punch him!"

"A well deserved one though. Makes me wanna give him a taste of it too," Tyson said, "Some obsessive psycho he turned out to be."

"You don't know for sure, do you?" Rei blurted out, "I mean we don't know the two sides of the story."

Tyson eyed him with disapproval, "Taking sides?"

"I'm not taking sides...I.." Rei spoke only to be interrupted by Kai, "None of your business," he sounded pretty serious, "Max can take care of himself. Don't go around poking your nose where it doesn't belong." Though it appeared to be meant for Tyson alone, Rei got the message too. He better keep his mouth shut.

Not long after that exchange between the bladers, Mariam strode into cafeteria, alone. There was no sight of Max and clearly, Mariam was wiping tears off her face. Bewildered, Hillary got up from her seat, only to be pulled back down by Tyson. He shook his head, taking Kai's suggestion seriously.

Mariam walked over to Ozuma, "Elder Seijo is waiting for you. On the second floor."

Ozuma paid her no heed, stood up and walked away. Mariam could do nothing but let him leave... _He'll come around... He'll understand me when the time comes. I have a responsibility to fulfil, _her will was unfaltering, _I wouldn't back down, not now. _

"Looks like things are fucked up big time," Akira said, sarcasm creeping in. Kai gave her a sharp look and Hillary added, "Seems like it. Where's Max? You guys won't even look for him?" Hillary looked at the team with disbelief, displeased with their apparent reluctance in the matter. "I'm going to go find him," Tyson stood up, "Kenny, you coming?"

Hillary approached Mariam, mentally considering different ways to inquire her of Max's whereabouts. She tried to choose her words carefully but all that came out was, "Where's Max?" _Damn!_

"He's with Elder Seijo and Judy," came her reply. Hillary looked for any hint of despair, strangely there wasn't any. She placed a gentle hand on Mariam's shoulder, "Is everything alright?" Mariam smiled, an empty smile, "Yes. Everything's fine."

With that Mariam walked out of the cafeteria, her heart heavy with grief that she was going to bury, deep within herself, as she began to fear Max's reaction. Max could easily put two and two together, figure out that there was potential danger in what she was involved with.

"I better get going now," the brunette turned towards Akira, "Coming? We have dinner plans remember?"

The "dinner plans" completely slipped out of Akira's mind. _Shit! I've got to talk to Kai!_ She couldn't bail out of it either. She sighed, "I'll be there in a minute. Go ahead." Hillary nodded, Tyson and Kenny followed her out.

Once the coast was clear, "What is happening?" Akira asked.

"Mariam's people want to return the rock to where it belongs and it is to their village," Rei explained, "The people who are searching for the rocks are far too dangerous to let the rock remain in the village. Mariam had to lie and flee to bring the scriptures of the rock to us. She is being accused of betrayal."

"Does that mean Max is in on this little secret?"

"We don't know that yet," Rei told her, "And we better not interfere."

"I have no intentions as such," Akira folded her hands and shrugged. Rei sighed and stood up, "See you guys later. It's just the first day and there's already some serious shit going on." _Some shit, _Kai smirked as he joined his friend, "Let's go." "Sure," Rei said.

Akira had nothing more to do and chose to leave. _The questions have got to wait, _she decided, _perhaps later tonight. _They didn't have a match the next day and she was keen on making him answer. She knew very well that Kai was the one to be approached. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy after all.

As Rei's words rolled over in her mind, a thought struck her like lightning, "Rei!" she cried out.

Rei stopped, to look back at her, startled. "Your village," she said, a slight tremble in her voice, "They have the scriptures with them too. Aren't they in danger?" Rei smiled, "That has been taken care of. And so has been Mariam's village." His smile had a quaint confidence about it. Like his people couldn't be touched, protected by an invincible force. He was unaffected, not even a slightest hint of panic. This made her feel unsettled, if not anything else but unsettled.

_All is not what it seems, _she heard a voice, Serpa's voice, _you will know in time. Until then pay heed to my words._ There had been instances when they exchanged thoughts. But, today, it was no triviality. _Stay by my side, _Akira urged, _guide me. I only feel closer to what I'm in search of. Rei's words, these circumstances, they remind me of her, the words she had said to me that day. We are getting closer to the one you belong to, Serpa. I know it._

* * *

**_An hour later_**

"Wow... The food... It's really good! However did you find this place?" Hillary said, sipping the last of her noodles.

"Complete it first," Julia said, "You can thank me later. Bryan suggested it anyway. He's been here before."

"Looks like you're getting along quite well," Hillary pointed out.

"Well enough. Except for..." Julia pursed her lips, "Forget it; let's not spoil the mood."

_Mood? _Akira was irritated, _yeah, awkward is some mood. Why did she even invite me over if they were just gonna go on blabbering? I'd rather spend the evening with Kai. What!? _She was surprised by her own thoughts. _Spend the evening with Kai? What am I even thinking? I only have some questions..._ Her mind kept returning to what happened at the hotel that afternoon. _He did not kiss you! He just dressed your freaking wound; _she mentally kicked herself for imagining things that never happened. But something definitely made her feel like he would have, if it wasn't for an interruption… Or was it her…? _Damn it!_

"Hello! Anybody home...?" Hillary waved her hand and snapped her fingers, bringing Akira back to her senses, "You're spacing out, what's wrong?"

_Oh nothing. I was ignored for like half an hour! _"I was thinking," Akira said instead, chiding herself, _learn to engage in a conversation and don't blame others for it!_

"About?" Julia asked.

"Things... People... Pretty interesting people out there," Akira started playing with her straw, making mini whirlpools in her glass of Coke. Finally bored of it, she pushed the glass away, diverting her attention towards Julia.

"So are you," Julia said, "That was one sweet battle. You sure kicked that jerk's butt. It was high time somebody taught him a lesson," her disdain for the Gladiator of Glasgow clear as a crystal.

"I taught him no lesson," Akira brushed it off, "I only settled my score."

A smug smile appeared on Hillary's face, "Kai did the same you know... Settle the score…" _Kai... Again... _Akira raised her eyebrows and squirmed in her seat, ignoring the quickening of her heart beat.

"When was it Julia..?" Hillary said, studying Akira's reaction, "Ah yes, their first championship. The Majestics challenged their place in the Russian finals. Kai was first beaten by Johnny, but he settled the score too, you know."

"Oh... Johnny actually beat Kai?" Akira didn't want to sound disinterested. "And got defeated later," Hillary said.

"Wasn't it the first time Kai jumped sides?" Julia asked, meaning no ill will. It came out in the spur of the moment. Hillary shot Julia a warning look, "Don't," she mouthed.

"Are you talking about Biovolt Corp?" Akira rolled her eyes, "That isn't much of a secret. Only, I don't know the details."

"They're not really necessary. Why brood over the past? Right?" Hillary flashed a smile at her.

"Kai doesn't like to speak about it... Right?" Akira asked, a tender feeling of understanding filling her, "I understand. Everybody has things they don't wanna talk about."

Julia noticed the quiver in her voice, the melancholy in her eyes. _She tries so hard to hide it. Hillary was right about her. _"So how do the championships feel? Exciting?" Julia felt it necessary to change the topic. The whole point of the evening was bringing Akira out.

_"Why are you doing this?" Julia asked, when Hillary requested her to invite Akira. "I don't know... I just want to. Get to know her..." Giving her a weird look, Julia nudged at Hillary, "Are you sure you have your priorities right?"_

_ "Huh?"_

_Hillary gasped as the meaning dawned upon her. She punched her friend back, "Of course idiot! I just like that girl... And I don't like the fact that she chooses spend her time alone when she should be out there having fun!"_

_"You are right. No one did anything about Kai and look how he turned out to be," Julia said._

_"Surprisingly, he turned out just fine. He has all the fun he wants to," Hillary said, grinning. "And how exactly do you know that?" Julia said, simpering._

_Hillary narrowed her eyes at her, "That's pathetic Jules."_

_"I was kidding," she raised her hands in a defensive gesture, "Just what do you see in that cocky idiot anyway?" Julia was clearly talking about Tyson. _

_"Julia..." Hillary was getting angry by the minute._

_Julia laughed, "You can't take a joke, can you? I'll ask her then."_

She didn't regret asking Akira. They lost track of time talking about almost everything: Clothes, music, sports, except for, perhaps world politics. By the end of the chatter, Julia and Hillary were giving her tips on dating, and Akira did find them to be useful, though she felt thoroughly embarrassed and awkward.

Akira had to agree, she enjoyed the evening. She had never gone out like this, with people of her own age. It wasn't that Isabel and Shiro didn't let her. (Of course, they never sent her to a normal school. She was tutored privately.) She had taken a lot of time to adjust to her new world, an awful lot of time. It was her rebirth, when she finally stepped out of the asylum. Even the bright sun light stung her. So technically, she was a four year old child, learning the ways of the world. Slow and steady…

* * *

**So how was the chapter? Good... Bad?**

**Do tell me by leaving your reviews!**

**Umm... So what's up with Akira? What happened at the hotel...? It would be revealed in the next chapter! I would only say don't get your hopes too high. But, this officially marks the beginning of Akira-Kai love story. Though, it would progress slowly for now.**

**Last but not the least, please ****REVIEW****! :D I'll be looking forward to them!**


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